What does the F value tell you in ANOVA?

Answer 1

The F test gives a way of judging whether, in a group of samples, there is at least one sample that is significantly different from the others. It only tells if there is one but does not identify which group that would be. The basic way the F test works is that it compares the spread (variance) of a group made of all the groups put together to the weighted variances of the individual groups, the larger the ratio the more likely that at least one group stood out like a sore thumb.