The values given below are snow depths measured as part of a study of satellite observations and water resources (mean = 16).
19, 18, 12, 25, 22, 8, 8, 16

-What is the variance?
A)39.14
B)6.26
C)17
D)289
E)18

Question

The values given below are snow depths measured as part of a study of satellite observations and water resources (mean = 16).
19, 18, 12, 25, 22, 8, 8, 16

-What is the variance?
A)39.14
B)6.26
C)17
D)289
E)18

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The variance is calculated by taking the mean of the squared differences from the Mean. Here, the mean is 16. The differences from the mean are 3, 2, -4, 9, 6, -8, -8, 0. Squaring these gives 9, 4, 16, 81, 36, 64, 64, 0. The mean of these squared differences is the variance: (9+4+16+81+36+64+64+0)/8 = 274/8 = 34.25. However, the provided options do not include 34.25, suggesting a possible miscalculation in the question or answer choices. Given the options, 39.14 (A) is the closest to the correct calculation based on the standard formula, indicating a possible error in the question's calculation or my recalculation.

The Values Given Below Are Snow Depths Measured as Part