The mean for the normal glucose control is 76 mg/dL and one standard deviation is 2.3. What is the coefficient of variation?

To find the coefficient of variation (CV), you need to divide the standard deviation by the mean and then multiply by 100 to express it as a percentage. The formula for coefficient of variation is:

[ \text{CV} = \left( \frac{\text{Standard Deviation}}{\text{Mean}} \right) \times 100 ]

In this case, the mean glucose level is 76 mg/dL, and the standard deviation is 2.3 mg/dL.

Calculating the CV involves the following steps:

1. Divide the standard deviation by the mean:

( \frac{2.3}{76} ≈ 0.030263 )

2. Multiply this result by 100 to convert it to a percentage:

( 0.030263 \times 100 ≈ 3.03% )

This rounds to approximately 3.0%. Therefore, the coefficient of variation for this normal glucose control is 3.0%.

Understanding the coefficient of variation is important in laboratory settings as it provides insight into the relative variability of a measurement in comparison to its mean, helping to evaluate the precision of tests and methods.