Coefficient of Variation (CV) Calculator
Instantly calculate the Coefficient of Variation to understand data dispersion.
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Understanding Coefficient of Variation
The Coefficient of Variation (CV) is a standardized measure of dispersion of a probability distribution or frequency distribution. It expresses the standard deviation as a percentage of the mean (average), and shows the extent of variability in relation to the mean of the population.
CV Scale: Lower CV indicates less variability, Higher CV indicates more variability.
Understanding Coefficient of Variation (CV)
The Coefficient of Variation (CV) is a statistical measure that expresses the standard deviation as a percentage of the mean. It's particularly useful for comparing the degree of variation between datasets with different means. A higher CV indicates greater variability relative to the mean, while a lower CV indicates the opposite.
Interpretation:
Generally, a CV less than 15% is considered low variability, between 15% to 30% is moderate variability, and greater than 30% indicates high variability. However, these ranges can vary depending on the field of study. CV is dimensionless, making it ideal for comparing variability across different units or scales.
Formula:
The formula for Coefficient of Variation is: $$ CV = \left( \frac{\sigma}{\mu} \right) \times 100\% $$ Where:
- \( \sigma \) is the standard deviation of the dataset.
- \( \mu \) is the mean of the dataset.
Use Cases:
- Finance: To compare the risk associated with different investments.
- Biology: To analyze the variability in biological populations.
- Manufacturing: To ensure consistency in product quality.
- Social Sciences: To compare income or education variability across different groups.