What is the basic principle of ANOVA?

ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) is a method of analyzing the variance in a set of data. It is used to test for differences among the means of various groups of data by examining the amount of variation within each of the samples, relative to the amount of variation between the samples. It is based on the principle that the total amount of differences in any set of data can be divided into 2 types – the amount that is caused due to specific factors and the amount that can be attributed to chance. The result of the ANOVA formula, the F statistic (also called the F-ratio), allows for the analysis of multiple groups of data to determine the variability between samples and within samples.