In Excel, the VAR function is used to estimate the variance of a sample from a population. It calculates the average between the squared differences from the sample mean. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use the VAR function:
VAR Function Syntax
VAR(number1, [number2], ...)
- number1: Required. The first number or cell reference in the sample.
- number2, …: Optional. Additional numbers or cell references (up to 254 total arguments in Excel 2007 and later).
Steps to Use the VAR Function
- Open Excel:
Launch Excel and open your workbook or create a new one.
- Enter Your Data:
Input your data into a worksheet. For example, list your sample data in cells A1 through A10.
- Select a Cell for the Result:
Click on the cell where you want the variance result to appear.
- Enter the VAR Function:
In the selected cell, start typing `=VAR(`.
- Input Your Data Range or Values:
You can either type in the range of the data you want to calculate the variance for or manually input the numbers. For example, if your data is in cells A1 through A10, the function should look like:
=VAR(A1:A10)
- Close the Parenthesis and Press Enter:
Complete the function with a closing parenthesis and hit Enter. Excel will calculate and display the sample variance for the specified range.
Tips
- VAR vs. VAR.S: Note that in Excel 2010 and later versions, the traditional `VAR` function has been succeeded by `VAR.S`, which serves the same purpose. However, `VAR` is still available for backward compatibility.
- Use VAR.P for Population Variance: If your data represents an entire population instead of a sample, use the `VAR.P` function (or `VARP` in older versions) instead.
- Handle Empty and Non-Numeric Cells: The VAR function will ignore text cells and empty cells, so ensure your data range contains numerical data.
This should help you effectively use the VAR function to calculate sample variance in Excel.
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