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Exercises · Q14

Q.Which of the following is a relative (unit-free) measure of dispersion, suitable for comparing the variability of two series recorded in different units?

(a) Range
(b) Quartile Deviation
(c) Standard Deviation
(d) Coefficient of Variation
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Step 1 — Classify each option. Range (L−SL-S), Quartile Deviation ((Q3−Q1)/2(Q_3-Q_1)/2) and Standard Deviation (σ\sigma) are all absolute measures of dispersion — each is expressed in the SAME unit as the original data (rupees, marks, kilograms, whichever the series happens to be in).

Step 2 — Identify the relative measure. The Coefficient of Variation, CV=(σ/xˉ)×100%\text{CV}=(\sigma/\bar{x})\times100\%, expresses standard deviation as a percentage of the mean — a pure ratio with no unit attached. Because CV carries no unit, it is the only one of the four options that can be used to compare, say, the variability of a company's revenue (in ₹ lakh) against the variability of its unit sales (in numbers of items) on equal footing. …

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