Comparing z-scores

To illustrate the utility of z-scores, let's now look at some housing data, in which the two columns - Bedrooms and Square Feet - are measured very differently.

The z-scores for the "Bedroom" column have already been calculated for you. In this exercise, you will calculate z-scores for the "Square Feet" column using the STANDARDIZE() function. After that, you will use SUM() and AVERAGE() to compare how the distributions are now on the same scale.

As a reminder, the z-score measures how far a value is from the mean using standard deviations.

This exercise is part of the course

Introduction to Statistics in Google Sheets

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Exercise instructions

  • In cell I2, using STANDARDIZE(), pass in the Square Feet of B2, then the mean at $E$3 and finally the STDEVP() in $F$3. Drag this formula all the way down to get the entire vector. Remember those $ signs!
  • In cells L2 and L3, use SUM() to add up the standardized values in columns H and I, respectively.
  • In cells M2 and M3, calculate the mean of the standardized values in columns H and I. Compare the results of the scaled columns.

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