Re: Is Standard deviation equivalent to RMS noise?

No. Go here and read about rms, and then click on the link on that page that refers to standard deviation. You will see that the main difference is that the standard deviation is the result of squaring the differences between the individual values and the mean of the values, while the rms is the result of squaring the individual values (without subtracting the mean first). The standard deviation is a measure of the variation in the measures, while the rms is a sort of average of the measures.

John Link, MadSci Physicist

Added by Dominic (visiting MadSci), 1/13/2005:
This question basically asks if the standard deviation for a data set with a single nominal value was equivalent to the RMS noise. The MadSci staffer said that the answer was No. However, in his answer, he was referring to the RMS of the data set, rather than the RMS noise of the data set. The RMS of a data set and the RMS noise of a data set are not the same thing. However, the standard deviation and the RMS noise are equivalent.

Thanks,

Dominic