VARPA

The VARPA function in Google Sheets calculates the variance based on an entire population, setting text to the value 0.

Parameters

• value1, value2,...: The values or ranges that make up the population.

Step-by-Step Tutorial

1. Using VARPA with individual values:

   • Example: =VARPA(3, 4, 5, 9)
   • Result: The result will vary based on the provided values.

2. Using VARPA with a range of cells:

   • Example: If A1:A5 contains the values 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, then =VARPA(A1:A5) will return the variance of the population based on these values.

Working with a Single Value, a List, and a Range

VARPA accepts numbers one at a time, as a comma-separated list, or as a range — mix and match freely. Unlike VAR.P, it also accepts text and logical values, counting TRUE as 1 and any text or FALSE as 0.

• Single value: =VARPA(A1) — returns 0, since a single data point has no spread from itself.
• List of values: =VARPA(A1, A2, A3) — treats each cell as one data point in the population, converting text and logical values as it goes.
• Range: =VARPA(A1:A10) — treats every cell in the range as part of the population, including any text or logical values it contains.
• Mixed: =VARPA(A1, A3:A6, 10) — combine single cells, ranges, and literal numbers into one population.

Use Cases and Scenarios

1. Quality Control: Calculate the variance in product dimensions for an entire batch.
2. Research Survey: Find the population variance in responses to a set of questions.
3. Financial Analysis: Determine the variance of returns from an entire investment portfolio.

Related Functions

• VAR: Calculates the variance based on a sample of a population.
• VARP: Calculates the variance based on an entire population without setting text to 0.

Related Articles

• Understanding Statistical Functions in Google Sheets