Skip to main content

Abstract

If the mean of a population is calculated from a random selection of samples, this mean value for the sample will not correlate exactly with the true mean value for the population. If several samples are taken from the population, then the mean values of these samples will vary, and a standard deviation can also be calculated for this variation. It is known as the standard deviation of the mean (or the standard error of the mean) or the variance of the mean, respectively. The standard deviation or variance of the mean can be calculated from the standard deviation or variance of the samples. It is easy to see that the range of the different mean values must decrease in proportion to the increase in the number of individual samples in the random samples.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1998 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Wellmer, FW. (1998). Standard Deviation and Variance of the Mean. In: Statistical Evaluations in Exploration for Mineral Deposits. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60262-7_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60262-7_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-64325-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-60262-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics