What term describes a population probability distribution that is symmetric about the mean?

What term describes a population probability distribution that is symmetric about the mean?

• A. Gaussian curve
• B. Uniform distribution
• C. Normal distribution
• D. Bell-shaped distribution

Answer: (C)

In probability, a distribution that is symmetric around the center is most famously described by the normal distribution. Its graph forms a bell-shaped curve that is perfectly mirrored on either side of the mean, and the mean, median, and mode all align at the center. This distribution is fully described by its mean and standard deviation, with most values clustering near the center and tapering symmetrically toward the tails. While the shape is also called Gaussian, the formal term used for the population probability distribution is normal distribution. The uniform distribution, by contrast, has constant probability across an interval and a flat, rectangle-like graph, not a bell shape; and the label bell-shaped distribution is descriptive rather than a standard name.

In probability, a distribution that is symmetric around the center is most famously described by the normal distribution. Its graph forms a bell-shaped curve that is perfectly mirrored on either side of the mean, and the mean, median, and mode all align at the center. This distribution is fully described by its mean and standard deviation, with most values clustering near the center and tapering symmetrically toward the tails. While the shape is also called Gaussian, the formal term used for the population probability distribution is normal distribution. The uniform distribution, by contrast, has constant probability across an interval and a flat, rectangle-like graph, not a bell shape; and the label bell-shaped distribution is descriptive rather than a standard name.