Construction and Application of a Statistical Test for Coefficient of Variation on Normal Distributions

In this study a novel statistical test is derived for the Coefficient of Variation (CV) under normal distributions. This is a newly derived test with value to engineering sciences in aspects of production of accurate items. The CV can measure the precision of a measuring instrument, among other applications. In order to determine instrument reliability, start by generating measures using the instrument. The CV is then calculated to determine if the measures generated by the instrument are concentrated around a central point. In use of normal distribution presumption, or approximation, applicable properties of the normal distributions lead to involvement of the chi-square and t-distributions. A CV test is then constructed, and two illustrative examples conclude the discussion.