12.15
%
0.121495
42.8
12.15
%
0.121495
42.8
The Coefficient of Variation (CV) Calculator computes the relative variability of a dataset by expressing the standard deviation as a percentage of the mean. The CV is a standardized measure of dispersion that allows comparison of variability between datasets with different units or vastly different means. This makes it invaluable in biology for comparing measurement precision across different assays, species, or traits.
In laboratory settings, the CV is the standard metric for assessing assay precision and reproducibility. A CV below 10% is generally considered good reproducibility for biological assays, while below 5% indicates excellent precision.
The coefficient of variation is calculated as:
CV (%) = (Standard Deviation / |Mean|) × 100
The CV is meaningful only when the mean is not close to zero and when data are measured on a ratio scale (with a true zero point). It should not be used with interval data (like Celsius temperature) or when the mean can be negative.
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Results
CV of 8.83% for mouse body weight indicates moderate biological variation, typical for inbred strains under controlled conditions.
Inputs
Results
CV of 1.76% shows excellent intra-assay precision for this ELISA, well within the typical acceptable range of less than 10%.
Context determines what is acceptable. In clinical chemistry, CV less than 5% is excellent and less than 10% is acceptable. For biological field data, CV of 10-30% may be normal. In manufacturing, CV less than 2% may be required. In general, lower CV means more consistent data. Compare your CV to published values for similar measurements in your field.
Do not use the CV when the mean is near zero (CV becomes inflated or meaningless), with data on interval scales (like Celsius temperature, where zero is arbitrary), or with data that can have negative values (like percent change). In these cases, use standard deviation or other dispersion measures instead.
Intra-assay CV measures precision within a single assay run (repeatability), calculated from replicate measurements of the same sample. Inter-assay CV measures precision across different runs (reproducibility). Both are expressed as CV% and are standard quality control metrics. Inter-assay CV is typically higher than intra-assay CV.
Roboculator Team
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