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Question

The coefficient of correlation between two variables X and Y is 0.48. The covariance is 36. The variance of X is 16. The standard deviation of Y is:

This question was previously asked in
SSC CGL 2016 (Tier 1) Previous Year Question Paper (11-Sep-2016) (Shift 2)
The correct answer is

18.75

Calculate Standard Deviation Y from Correlation and Covariance

This problem asks us to find the standard deviation of a variable Y, given the coefficient of correlation between variables X and Y, their covariance, and the variance of variable X. We will use the formula for the coefficient of correlation to solve this.

Understanding the Given Information

We are provided with the following statistical measures:

  • Coefficient of correlation between X and Y (\(r\)): 0.48
  • Covariance between X and Y (\(\text{Cov}(X, Y)\)): 36
  • Variance of X (\(\text{Var}(X)\)): 16

Our goal is to determine the standard deviation of Y (\(\sigma_Y\)).

Relating Correlation, Covariance, and Standard Deviations

The coefficient of correlation (\(r\)) is a measure that quantifies the linear relationship between two variables. It is defined by the formula:

\(r = \frac{\text{Cov}(X, Y)}{\sigma_X \sigma_Y}\)

Where:

  • \(\text{Cov}(X, Y)\) is the covariance between X and Y.
  • \(\sigma_X\) is the standard deviation of X.
  • \(\sigma_Y\) is the standard deviation of Y.

We have \(r\) and \(\text{Cov}(X, Y)\). We are given the variance of X, from which we can find the standard deviation of X. Once we have \(\sigma_X\), we can rearrange the formula to solve for \(\sigma_Y\).

Step-by-Step Calculation of Standard Deviation of Y

Step 1: Find the Standard Deviation of X

The standard deviation of a variable is the square root of its variance. We are given that the variance of X (\(\text{Var}(X)\)) is 16.

\(\sigma_X = \sqrt{\text{Var}(X)}\)

Substituting the given value:

\(\sigma_X = \sqrt{16}\)

\(\sigma_X = 4\)

So, the standard deviation of X is 4.

Step 2: Rearrange the Correlation Formula to Solve for \(\sigma_Y\)

We use the formula for the coefficient of correlation:

\(r = \frac{\text{Cov}(X, Y)}{\sigma_X \sigma_Y}\)

We want to find \(\sigma_Y\). We can rearrange the formula by multiplying both sides by \(\sigma_X \sigma_Y\) and then dividing by \(r\):

\(r \times \sigma_X \times \sigma_Y = \text{Cov}(X, Y)\)

\(\sigma_Y = \frac{\text{Cov}(X, Y)}{r \times \sigma_X}\)

This rearranged formula allows us to calculate \(\sigma_Y\) using the known values.

Step 3: Substitute Values and Calculate \(\sigma_Y\)

Substitute the given values into the rearranged formula:

  • \(\text{Cov}(X, Y) = 36\)
  • \(r = 0.48\)
  • \(\sigma_X = 4\) (calculated in Step 1)

\(\sigma_Y = \frac{36}{0.48 \times 4}\)

First, calculate the denominator:

\(0.48 \times 4 = 1.92\)

Now, perform the division:

\(\sigma_Y = \frac{36}{1.92}\)

\(\sigma_Y = 18.75\)

Thus, the standard deviation of Y is 18.75.

Summary of Results

Given the coefficient of correlation (0.48), covariance (36), and variance of X (16), we found the standard deviation of X to be 4 and subsequently calculated the standard deviation of Y to be 18.75.

Statistical Measure Value Derived or Given
Coefficient of Correlation (\(r\)) 0.48 Given
Covariance (\(\text{Cov}(X, Y)\)) 36 Given
Variance of X (\(\text{Var}(X)\)) 16 Given
Standard Deviation of X (\(\sigma_X\)) 4 Derived (\(\sqrt{16}\))
Standard Deviation of Y (\(\sigma_Y\)) 18.75 Derived (\(\frac{36}{0.48 \times 4}\))

The standard deviation of Y is 18.75.

Revision Table: Key Statistical Relationships

Understanding the relationships between different statistical measures is crucial for solving problems like this. Here's a quick review:

Measure Relationship to Variance/Standard Deviation Relationship to Covariance/Correlation
Variance (\(\text{Var}\)) Standard deviation squared (\(\sigma^2\)) Part of correlation denominator indirectly
Standard Deviation (\(\sigma\)) Square root of variance (\(\sqrt{\text{Var}}\)) Denominator in correlation formula
Covariance (\(\text{Cov}(X, Y)\))
Numerator in correlation formula
Coefficient of Correlation (\(r\)) Relates covariance to product of standard deviations (\(\frac{\text{Cov}(X, Y)}{\sigma_X \sigma_Y}\))

Additional Information: Interpreting Correlation and Standard Deviation

  • Standard Deviation: The standard deviation (\(\sigma\)) measures the dispersion or spread of data points around the mean. A higher standard deviation indicates greater variability in the data.
  • Variance: Variance (\(\sigma^2\)) is the average of the squared differences from the mean. It is the standard deviation squared.
  • Covariance: Covariance (\(\text{Cov}(X, Y)\)) measures the extent to which two variables change together. A positive covariance means they tend to increase or decrease together, while a negative covariance means one tends to increase as the other decreases.
  • Coefficient of Correlation: The coefficient of correlation (\(r\)) standardizes covariance by dividing by the product of the standard deviations. This results in a value between -1 and +1, making it easier to interpret the strength and direction of the linear relationship regardless of the variables' scales. \(r=1\) indicates perfect positive linear correlation, \(r=-1\) indicates perfect negative linear correlation, and \(r=0\) indicates no linear correlation. In this problem, \(r = 0.48\) suggests a moderate positive linear relationship.

By using the relationships between these measures, as shown in the formula \(r = \frac{\text{Cov}(X, Y)}{\sigma_X \sigma_Y}\), we can find missing values if enough information is provided.

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Similar Questions

  1. The coefficients of the regression β X|y and β Y|x , are known, The coefficient of correlation equals: 

  2. Which option is correct for the correlation ratio E 2?

  3. Let θ be the angle made by the line of regression of Y on X. If σ Y= 2σ X and the correlation coefficient between X and Y is 0.3, the value θ equals

  4. The multiple correlation coefficient R 1,23 as compared to any simple correlation coefficients between the distinct variable X 1 ,X 2, and X 3is

  5. The correlation coefficient between two variables X and Y is 0.4. The correlation coefficient between 2X and (-Y) will be:

  6. If the regression line of Y on X is Y = 30 - 0.9X and the standard deviations are S x= 2 and S y= 9, then the value of the correlation coefficient r xy is :

  7. If a data set contains n paired values on two variables x(independent) and y(dependent), then their plot is called:

  8. Suppose r xy is the correlation coefficient between two variables X and Y
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  9. For an experiment we have the following data set: n = 4, ∑x = a,  ∑y = 10, ∑xy  = 21, ∑x 2 = 30, ∑y 2 = 30. If the correlation coefficient is -0.8 then the value of a is:

  10. The limit of multiple correlation coefficient R 1.23 are:


Important Questions from Correlation Analysis

  1. If X ∼ N (0, 1) and Y = X2 then the correlation coefficient r (X, Y) is

  2. Given below are two statements: One is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R).

    Assertion (A): If the securities with less than perfect negative correlation between their price movements are combined, portfolio risk can be reduced significantly.

    Reason (R): The term with negative correlation has the effect of reducing the computed value of total portfolio risk, given other terms that are positive.

    In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

  3. Consider two exponentially distributed random variables X and Y, both having a mean of 0.50. Let Z = X + Y and r be the correlation coefficient between X and Y. If the variance of Z equals 0, then the value of r is _______ (round off to 2 decimal places).

  4. The two-regression equation of variable \(\rm{x}\) and \(\rm{y}\)  are

    \(\rm{y = 0.8x + 9.8}\) and \(\rm{x = 10.2 + 0.6y}\)

    The coefficient of correlation between \(\rm{x}\) and \(\rm{y}\) is

  5. In which conditions, Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient can be calculated ?
    A. If means of both the variables are equal
    B. If one variable is measured in interval scale and another is measured in ordinal scale
    C. If there is linear relationship between two variables
    D. If data are obtained in interval or ratio scale for both the variables
    E. If direction of relationship between two variables is known
    Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :
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