Step 1: List the data set: 2, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 7, 9.
Step 2: Calculate the mean (average) of the data set. Add all the numbers together: 2 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 5 + 5 + 7 + 9 = 40. Then divide by the number of values (8): 40 / 8 = 5.0.
Step 3: Subtract the mean from each number in the data set and square the result: (2-5)^2, (4-5)^2, (4-5)^2, (4-5)^2, (5-5)^2, (5-5)^2, (7-5)^2, (9-5)^2.
