NVAMediumJEE 2023Measures of Dispersion

JEE Mathematics 2023 Question with Solution

The mean and standard deviation of the marks of 1010 students were found to be 5050 and 1212 respectively. Later, it was observed that two marks 2020 and 2525 were wrongly read as 4545 and 5050 respectively. Then the correct variance is _____.

Answer

Correct answer:269

Step-by-step solution

Standard Method

Given: The mean of 1010 students was taken as 5050 and the standard deviation was taken as 1212 using wrongly read marks 4545 and 5050 in place of 2020 and 2525.

Find: The correct variance.

Let the total sum of the marks of the 1010 students be Σxi\Sigma x_i. From the given mean:

Σxi10=50Σxi=500\frac{\Sigma x_i}{10} = 50 \Rightarrow \Sigma x_i = 500

Now correct the sum by replacing the wrongly read values:

Σxi=5004550+20+25=450\Sigma x_i = 500 - 45 - 50 + 20 + 25 = 450

Using the variance relation with the given standard deviation 1212:

σ2=Σxi210(Σxi10)2\sigma^2 = \frac{\Sigma x_i^2}{10} - \left( \frac{\Sigma x_i}{10} \right)^2

Since σ=12\sigma = 12, we have

144=Σxi2102500144 = \frac{\Sigma x_i^2}{10} - 2500

So,

Σxi2=26440\Sigma x_i^2 = 26440

Now correct the sum of squares:

Σxi2=26440452502+202+252\Sigma x_i^2 = 26440 - 45^2 - 50^2 + 20^2 + 25^2 Σxi2=2644020252500+400+625=22940\Sigma x_i^2 = 26440 - 2025 - 2500 + 400 + 625 = 22940

Therefore, the corrected variance is

σ2=2294010(45010)2=22942025=269\sigma^2 = \frac{22940}{10} - \left( \frac{450}{10} \right)^2 = 2294 - 2025 = 269

Thus, the correct variance is 269269.

Step-by-step Correction of Mean and Variance Data

Given: Recorded data gave mean 5050 and standard deviation 1212 for 1010 students.

Find: The corrected variance after replacing 45,5045, 50 by 20,2520, 25.

First use the incorrect data to recover the original totals. From the mean,

Sum=10×50=500\text{Sum} = 10 \times 50 = 500

From the standard deviation,

Variance=122=144\text{Variance} = 12^2 = 144

Using

144=Σxi210502144 = \frac{\Sigma x_i^2}{10} - 50^2

we get

144=Σxi2102500144 = \frac{\Sigma x_i^2}{10} - 2500 Σxi210=2644\frac{\Sigma x_i^2}{10} = 2644 Σxi2=26440\Sigma x_i^2 = 26440

Now correct the total sum:

5004550+20+25=450500 - 45 - 50 + 20 + 25 = 450

Hence the corrected mean is

45010=45\frac{450}{10} = 45

Correct the sum of squares in the same way:

26440452502+202+25226440 - 45^2 - 50^2 + 20^2 + 25^2 =2644020252500+400+625=22940= 26440 - 2025 - 2500 + 400 + 625 = 22940

Now apply the variance formula again with corrected values:

σ2=2294010452\sigma^2 = \frac{22940}{10} - 45^2 =22942025=269= 2294 - 2025 = 269

Therefore, the correct variance is 269269.

Common mistakes

  • Using the corrected mean directly with the old sum of squares is wrong because both the total sum and the sum of squares change when wrong observations are replaced. Correct both before computing the variance.

  • Subtracting 45+5045 + 50 and adding 20+2520 + 25 for the sum is correct, but doing the same linear correction for squares is wrong. For variance, you must separately correct 45245^2, 50250^2, 20220^2, and 25225^2.

  • Confusing standard deviation with variance leads to error. The given standard deviation is 1212, so the initial variance is 122=14412^2 = 144, not 1212.

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