What does the standard deviation measure?a.Spread of datab.Central tendencyc.Skewness of datad.Variability of data

Explanation of Standard Deviation

The standard deviation is a statistical measure that quantifies the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of data values. It assesses how spread out the numbers are in relation to the mean (average) of the dataset. A low standard deviation indicates that the data points tend to be close to the mean, while a high standard deviation indicates a wider range of values.

Based on the options provided:

1. Spread of data - This is a correct interpretation, as standard deviation represents how much the data varies.
2. Central tendency - This refers to measures like the mean, median, and mode, which indicate the central point of a dataset, not its spread.
3. Skewness of data - Skewness measures the asymmetry of the data distribution but is not what standard deviation measures.
4. Variability of data - This is also correct, as standard deviation indeed measures how much the data values vary from the mean.

Thus, the standard deviation measures both the spread and variability of data.

Final Answer

The correct options are (a) Spread of data and (d) Variability of data.