Which statement describes the normal distribution?

Which statement describes the normal distribution?

• A. Symmetric, Multimodal, Centered at the mean
• B. Symmetric, Unimodal, Centered at the mean
• C. Skewed, Unimodal, Centered at the median
• D. Symmetric, Unimodal, Centered at zero

Answer: (B)

The normal distribution is defined by three features: it is symmetric around its center, it has a single peak (unimodal), and that center is the mean. In a normal curve the mean marks the exact center, and the mean, median, and mode all coincide, so the distribution is balanced at the mean. Because it can be described by a single peak and a symmetric shape, options describing multimodality or skewness don’t fit. And while the standard normal is centered at zero, a general normal distribution can have any mean, so centering at zero isn’t a defining property.

The normal distribution is defined by three features: it is symmetric around its center, it has a single peak (unimodal), and that center is the mean. In a normal curve the mean marks the exact center, and the mean, median, and mode all coincide, so the distribution is balanced at the mean. Because it can be described by a single peak and a symmetric shape, options describing multimodality or skewness don’t fit. And while the standard normal is centered at zero, a general normal distribution can have any mean, so centering at zero isn’t a defining property.