What is DVAR function in Excel?
The DVAR function is one of the Database functions of Excel.
It estimates variance based on a sample from selected database entries.
We can find this function in the Database of insert function Tab
How to use DVAR function in excel
1. Click on empty cell (like F5 )
2. Click on the fx icon (or press shift+F3)
3. In the insert function tab you will see all functions
4. Select Database category
5. Select DVAR function
6. Then select ok
7. In the function arguments Tab you will see DVAR function
8. In the Database section you can enter the range of cells that makes up the list or database. A database is a list of related data (ex: Table1)
9. Field section is either the label of the column in double quotation marks or a number that represents the column’s position in the list (ex: C1)
10. Criteria section is the range of cells that contains the conditions you specify. The range includes a column label and one cell below the label for a condition (ex: Table1)
11. You will see the result in formula result section
Examples of DVAR function in excel
Example1:
calculate the variance of student height with DVAR function
Example 2:
calculate the variance of student weight with DVAR function
Example 3:
Python code for DVAR function
| Name | Age | Height | Weight |
| Olivia | 25 | 210 | 180 |
| Noah | 25 | 205 | 235 |
| Oliver | 27 | 195 | 205 |
| Elijah | 22 | 198 | 185 |
| James | 29 | 199 | 231 |
| William | 29 | 201 | 240 |
| Benjamin | 21 | 202 | 235 |
| Lucas | 25 | 200 | 238 |
| Henry | 22 | 204 | 190 |
import pandas as pd
df=pd.read_csv(‘example.csv’)
Vardf = df.var(axis=0, numeric_only= True)
print (Vardf)Here are 10 examples of the DVAR function in Excel:
- Calculate the variance of “Sales” column in a database named “Data”: =DVAR(Data,”Sales”,””)
- Calculate the variance of “Profit” column in a database named “Data”, where the “Region” is “West”: =DVAR(Data,”Profit”,”Region”,”West”)
- Calculate the variance of “Quantity” column in a database named “Orders”, where the “Order Date” is after January 1st, 2022: =DVAR(Orders,”Quantity”,”Order Date”,”>1/1/2022″)
- Calculate the variance of “Age” column in a database named “Employees”, where the “Department” is “Marketing”: =DVAR(Employees,”Age”,”Department”,”Marketing”)
- Calculate the variance of “Salary” column in a database named “Employees”, where the “Gender” is “Female”: =DVAR(Employees,”Salary”,”Gender”,”Female”)
- Calculate the variance of “Score” column in a database named “Students”, where the “Grade” is “A+”: =DVAR(Students,”Score”,”Grade”,”A+”)
- Calculate the variance of “Income” column in a database named “Customers”, where the “State” is “California”: =DVAR(Customers,”Income”,”State”,”California”)
- Calculate the variance of “Height” column in a database named “Athletes”, where the “Sport” is “Basketball”: =DVAR(Athletes,”Height”,”Sport”,”Basketball”)
- Calculate the variance of “Price” column in a database named “Products”, where the “Category” is “Electronics”: =DVAR(Products,”Price”,”Category”,”Electronics”)
- Calculate the variance of “Duration” column in a database named “Movies”, where the “Genre” is “Action”: =DVAR(Movies,”Duration”,”Genre”,”Action”)
Understanding How the DVAR Function Works in Excel
The DVAR function in Excel is a database function that calculates the variance of a given set of values based on a specified condition. It is often used to analyze data sets and determine the variability within a specific subset of the data.
For example, let’s say you have a dataset of test scores for students in a class. You want to find the variance of the scores for female students only. You can use the DVAR function to do this by specifying the range of scores and the condition that the gender is female.
Exploring the Arguments of Excel’s DVAR Function
The DVAR function takes three arguments: database, field, and criteria.
The “database” argument specifies the range of cells that contains the data you want to analyze.
The “field” argument specifies the column or row within the database range that you want to analyze.
The “criteria” argument specifies the condition or set of conditions that you want to apply to the analysis. This argument is optional, but it allows you to specify a subset of the data to analyze based on certain criteria.
Syntax of the DVAR Function in Excel: A Quick Overview
The syntax of the DVAR function in Excel is as follows:
=DVAR(database, field, criteria)
For example, suppose you have a dataset of sales figures for a company, and you want to calculate the variance of the sales figures for a particular product category. You would use the following formula:
=DVAR(A1:B100, 2, A1:A100=”Product Category 1″)
This formula specifies that the database range is A1:B100, the field to analyze is the second column (which contains the sales figures), and the criteria is that the values in the first column (which contains the product categories) must equal “Product Category 1”.
Using DVAR to Calculate Variance of Values in Excel
The DVAR function in Excel can be used to calculate the variance of a set of values. To use the DVAR function, you need to specify the range of cells that contains the data you want to analyze, the column or row within that range that you want to analyze, and an optional set of criteria to apply.
For example, suppose you have a dataset of sales figures for a company, and you want to calculate the variance of the sales figures for a particular product category. You would use the following formula:
=DVAR(A1:B100, 2, A1:A100=”Product Category 1″)
This formula specifies that the database range is A1:B100, the field to analyze is the second column (which contains the sales figures), and the criteria is that the values in the first column (which contains the product categories) must equal “Product Category 1”.
Handling Empty Cells with DVAR Function in Excel
If there are empty cells within the range you’re analyzing, the DVAR function will treat those cells as zero by default. However, you can change this behavior by using the optional fourth argument, “include_empty”.
The “include_empty” argument is a Boolean value (TRUE or FALSE) that determines whether empty cells should be included in the analysis. If you set “include_empty” to TRUE, the DVAR function will treat empty cells as if they contained a value of zero. If you set “include_empty” to FALSE, the DVAR function will ignore empty cells and only analyze cells that contain a value.
For example, suppose you have a dataset of test scores for a class, but some students did not take one of the tests. You want to find the variance of the scores for the students who took all the tests. You can use the following formula to exclude the empty cells:
=DVAR(A1:C100, 3, A1:B100<>””, FALSE)
This formula specifies that the database range is A1:C100, the field to analyze is the third column (which contains the scores), and the criteria is that the values in the first two columns (which contain the student names and test names) must not be empty.
Specifying Criteria for DVAR Function in Excel: A Guide
The criteria argument of the DVAR function allows you to specify a subset of the data to analyze based on certain conditions. You can use comparison operators (such as =, <>, >, >=, <, <=) and logical operators (such as AND, OR, NOT) to create complex conditions.
For example, suppose you have a dataset of employee salaries, and you want to find the variance of the salaries for employees who work in the sales department and earn more than $50,000 per year. You can use the following formula:
=DVAR(A1:C100, 3, (A1:A100=”Sales”)*(C1:C100>50000))
This formula specifies that the database range is A1:C100, the field to analyze is the third column (which contains the salaries), and the criteria is that the values in the first column must equal “Sales” and the values in the third column must be greater than 50000.
Using Wildcards with Criteria Argument in DVAR Function in Excel
You can also use wildcards in the criteria argument of the DVAR function to match patterns of text. The asterisk (*) represents any number of characters, while the question mark (?) represents a single character.
For example, suppose you have a dataset of customer orders, and you want to find the variance of the order amounts for orders that contain the word “Apple” in the product name. You can use the following formula:
=DVAR(A1:C100, 2, B1:B100=”Apple“)
This formula specifies that the database range is A1:C100, the field to analyze is the second column (which contains the order amounts), and the criteria is that the values in the second column must contain the word “Apple”. The asterisks before and after “Apple” allow for any number of characters before or after the word.
Applying Multiple Criteria in DVAR Function in Excel
You can apply multiple criteria in the criteria argument of the DVAR function by using logical operators such as AND and OR.
For example, suppose you have a dataset of student grades, and you want to find the variance of the grades for students who got an A in math and a B in science. You can use the following formula:
=DVAR(A1:C100, 3, (B1:B100=”Math”)(C1:C100=”A”)(B1:B100=”Science”)*(C1:C100=”B”))
This formula specifies that the database range is A1:C100, the field to analyze is the third column (which contains the grades), and the criteria is that the values in the second column must equal “Math” and the values in the third column must equal “A”, and the values in the second column must equal “Science” and the values in the third column must equal “B”.
Switching from DVAR to DVARP in Excel: When and Why
The DVARP function in Excel calculates the variance of a population, while the DVAR function calculates the variance of a sample. The difference between the two functions is in how they estimate the variance.
If you’re analyzing an entire population, you should use the DVARP function. However, if you’re analyzing a sample of the population, you should use the DVAR function. Using the wrong function can lead to inaccurate results.
Understanding the Difference Between DVAR and DVARP in Excel
The DVAR function in Excel calculates the variance of a sample, while the DVARP function calculates the variance of a population. The sample variance is an estimate of the population variance based on a subset of the data.
The formula for the sample variance is:
=SUM((data-mean)^2)/(count-1)
where “data” is the range of cells containing the data, “mean” is the average of the data, and “count” is the number of values in the data. The sample variance is divided by (count-1) instead of count to account for the fact that the sample is only a subset of the population.
The formula for the population variance is:
=SUM((data-mean)^2)/count
where “data” is the range of cells containing the data, “mean” is the average of the data, and “count” is the number of values in the data.
Calculating Sample Variance using DVAR Function in Excel
To calculate the sample variance using the DVAR function in Excel, you need to specify the optional fourth argument, “database_field”. This argument should be set to 1 to indicate that the field being analyzed is a sample.
For example, suppose you have a dataset of test scores for a class, and you want to find the variance of the scores for the students who took all the tests. You can use the following formula to calculate the sample variance:
=DVAR(A1:C100, 3, A1:B100<>””, TRUE)
This formula specifies that the database range is A1:C100, the field to analyze is the third column (which contains the scores), and the criteria is that the values in the first two columns (which contain the student names and test names) must not be empty. The optional fourth argument, TRUE, indicates that the field being analyzed is a sample.
