die Streuung
spreading
The distribution or spreading of something over a surface.
EXAMPLE
Die Streuung von Salz auf den Straßen soll Glätte verhindern.
The spreading of salt on the roads is meant to prevent ice.
die Streuung
spreading / dispersion / scattering
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Meanings
die Streuung
spread / variation
The degree to which values, characteristics, or opinions within a group differ from one another; the distribution or variety.
EXAMPLE
Die Streuung der Ergebnisse bei der letzten Prüfung war ungewöhnlich hoch.
The spread of the results in the last exam was unusually high.
die Streuung
dispersion
In statistics, a measure that indicates how far the individual data points in a series of measurements are from the average value.
EXAMPLE
Die Varianz ist ein wichtiges Maß für die Streuung von Daten.
Variance is an important measure of the dispersion of data.
die Streuung
scattering
In physics, the deflection of particles or waves, such as light, through interaction with a medium.
EXAMPLE
Die blaue Farbe des Himmels ist ein Resultat der Streuung des Sonnenlichts an Luftmolekülen.
The blue color of the sky is a result of the scattering of sunlight by air molecules.
Usage tips
Word family
'Die Streuung' is the nominalization of the verb 'streuen' (to scatter, spread, or sprinkle). The ending '-ung' turns the action of distributing into a noun that describes the action itself or its result.
EXAMPLE
Der Gärtner sorgt durch das Streuen für eine gleichmäßige Streuung der Samen.
By scattering the seeds, the gardener ensures an even distribution of them.
Context clue
The meaning of 'Streuung' depends heavily on the context. In everyday language, it usually refers to physical distribution or spreading (m01). In discussions about surveys or exams, it refers to the variety of results (m02). In scientific texts, it is often a technical term (m03, m04).
EXAMPLE
Die große Streuung der Meinungen in der Gruppe machte eine Einigung schwierig.
The wide spread of opinions in the group made agreement difficult.
Typical collocations
In the abstract meaning, 'Streuung' is often combined with adjectives such as 'groß' (large), 'breit' (wide), 'gering' (small/low), or 'stark' (strong). It describes the variety of, for example, results, data, opinions, or assets.
EXAMPLE
Die Umfrage zeigte eine breite Streuung der politischen Ansichten.
The survey showed a wide spread of political views.
Technical language
In statistics and physics, 'Streuung' is a precise technical term. In statistics, it measures deviation from a mean value; in physics, the deflection of waves or particles. In these contexts, the word has an exact, measurable meaning.
EXAMPLE
Im Physikunterricht haben wir die Streuung von Licht an einem Prisma untersucht.
In physics class, we investigated the scattering of light by a prism.
Compare with
Streuung vs Verteilung
distribution
Verteilung describes the overall pattern of the values, such as which results occur and how often. Streuung, on the other hand, describes how much the values differ from one another or from the average. Verteilung is appropriate for the overall picture, while Streuung is used for the extent of the differences.
Streuung
Die große Streuung der Testergebnisse zeigt, dass die erreichten Punktzahlen weit auseinanderliegen.
The wide spread of the test results shows that the scores are far apart.
Verteilung
Die Verteilung der Testergebnisse zeigt, dass die meisten Schüler zwischen 70 und 80 Punkte erreicht haben.
The distribution of the test results shows that most students scored between 70 and 80 points.
In real life
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