Why is V(1/5X) equal to 1/25*V(X)?

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In summary: Therefore, according to the properties of variance, we can rewrite ##V(1/5*X)## as ##1/25*V(X)##. This is because ##V(aX) = a^2*V(X)##.
  • #1
Addez123
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TL;DR Summary
I don't understand how V(1/5X) can be turned into 1/25*V(X).
Shouldn't I just extract the 1/5 so:
V(1/5X) = 1/5*V(X) ?

V stands for variance.
In my book, when calculating the variance of X = (x_1 + x_2 + x_3 + x_4 + x_5)/5
in an example it says:

V(X) = V(1/5(X_1 + X_2 + X_3 + X_4 + X_5)) = 1/25*V(X_1) + 1/25*V(X_2) + 1/25*V(X_3) + 1/25*V(X_4) + 1/25*V(X_5) = 1/5Ф

I don't understand how V(1/5X) can be turned into 1/25*V(X), shouldn't I just extract the 1/5 so:
V(1/5X) = 1/5*V(X) ?
 
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  • #2
According to the properties of the variance it is ##V(aX)=a^2V(X)##. This follows from the definition of variance and the properties of the mean E(X).
It is ##V(X)=E(X^2)-E(X)^2##
and $$V(aX)=E((aX)^2)-E(aX)^2=E(a^2X^2)-a^2E(X)^2=a^2E(X^2)-a^2E(X)^2=a^2(E(X^2)-E(X)^2)=a^2V(X)$$
 
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  • #3
Addez123 said:
Summary:: I don't understand how V(1/5X) can be turned into 1/25*V(X).
Shouldn't I just extract the 1/5 so:
V(1/5X) = 1/5*V(X) ?

V stands for variance.

In my book, when calculating the variance of X = (x_1 + x_2 + x_3 + x_4 + x_5)/5
in an example it says:

V(X) = V(1/5(X_1 + X_2 + X_3 + X_4 + X_5)) = 1/25*V(X_1) + 1/25*V(X_2) + 1/25*V(X_3) + 1/25*V(X_4) + 1/25*V(X_5) = 1/5Ф

I don't understand how V(1/5X) can be turned into 1/25*V(X), shouldn't I just extract the 1/5 so:
V(1/5X) = 1/5*V(X) ?
What's definition of variance?
 
  • #4
Variance is based on values of ##X^2## and ##(1/5*X)^2 = 1/25*X^2##.
 

FAQ: Why is V(1/5X) equal to 1/25*V(X)?

What is the concept behind the equation V(1/5X) = 1/25*V(X)?

The equation represents the relationship between the variance of a dataset and the variance of a subset of that dataset. It states that the variance of a subset of the dataset, represented by 1/5X, is equal to 1/25 times the variance of the entire dataset, represented by V(X).

How does this equation apply to scientific research?

In scientific research, data analysis often involves examining subsets of a larger dataset. This equation is useful for understanding the relationship between the variances of these subsets and the overall dataset, which can provide insights into the distribution and variability of the data.

Can you provide an example of how this equation is used in practice?

Sure, for example, let's say we are studying the heights of a population. We have a dataset of 100 individuals and we want to know the variance of the heights of a subset of 20 individuals. Using this equation, we can calculate that the variance of the subset is equal to 1/25 times the variance of the entire dataset.

What is the significance of the 1/25 factor in the equation?

The 1/25 factor represents the proportion of the subset compared to the entire dataset. In this case, since we are examining a subset of 1/5 of the dataset, the factor is 1/5 squared, which is equal to 1/25. This factor helps to scale the variance of the subset to the variance of the entire dataset.

Are there any limitations to this equation?

Yes, this equation assumes that the subset is a random sample of the entire dataset and that the data is normally distributed. If these assumptions are not met, the equation may not accurately reflect the relationship between the variances. Additionally, this equation only applies to continuous data, not categorical data.

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