Definition A measure of how much a sample average is likely to differ from the true average of the whole population.
Example A standard deviation of 20 with a sample size of 100 gives a standard error of 2.
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Why it matters It shows how much a sample average might differ from the truth.
Where it is used Survey results, research papers and experiment reports.
How to calculate it Standard deviation ÷ √sample size
Worked example A standard deviation of 20 with a sample size of 100 gives a standard error of 2.