I am trying to calculate a standard deviation and am having some problems with my answers having too many decimal points. I have attached a picture of my excel file as Excel files cannot be uploaded into Chegg. The picture should explain what I am having problems with. I have circled two variances as examples, but after looking at the numbers, every variance calculated has 2 too many decimal points. (I am trying to replicate the answers that the text results shows so I can ensure I am calculating these types of problems correctly). I have included the data below that I have entered into Excel to get my results. In a standard deviation problem with probabilities, I understand that I cannot convert the probabilities to decimals and must assume that they are whole numbers to get to the correct variance numbers, but since there are no probabilities with this standard dev calculation (assume all have the same probability), I have tried entering some as whole numbers, some as decimals, keeping some as percentages, etc. and nothing seems to be getting me to the correct variance number. (What is strange is that even though some of my variance numbers are off by several decimal points, the standard deviation number result calculates correctly.

=(-1%-.016667)^2 = .000711129 (Should equal .07111289)

=(-3%-.016667)^2 = .002177809 (Should equal .21778089)

=(0%-.016667)^2 = .000277789 (should equal .02777889)

Hopefully you have calculated standard deviation before and know exactly what needs to be entered as a whole number, what needs to be entered as a percentage, etc.

Thank you for your help.

Standard deviation (Return of Month 6- Average return) Number of monthly returns -1 (646-7.6667%)' +(3%-1.6667%)+(-1%-1.6667%))+ (-3%-1.6667%)+(5%-1.6667%) +(0%-4.6667%) 6-1 0.18777489% +0.01777689% +0.07111289%+0.21778089% + 0.11110889%+0.02777889% 5 0.63333333% 5 3.5590% Therefore, standard deviation for Corporation Z is 3.5590% Here is how I have tried to enter the numbers in Excel. Can you tell me how I need to enter the numbers into Excel for month 3, 4 and 6 so my calculation comes out correctly? It looks like not only the negative numbers are the issue but also the 0%. **You can click on the cell and see my formula Standard Deviation. Average return = 1.6667% Month 1 6% 0.0018777489 35.80027 2 3% 0.0001777689 -1% 0.000711129 ** My result has too many decimal places. I have two more than they do -3% 0.002177809 ** My result has too many decimal places. I have two more than they do 5% 0.11110889% 0% 0.000277789 * My result has too many decimal places. I have two more than they do Variance 0.0063333333 ST DEV 0.035590261 *My standard dev result comes out correctly, but my variance calculations above do not. What am I entering wrong? 3 4 5 ** 6