What is a characteristic of a normal distribution?

A normal distribution is characterized by its symmetrical, bell-shaped curve. This curve represents the spread of data around a central mean, with most values clustering around the mean and fewer values appearing as you move further away from it in either direction. The bell-curve shape indicates that there are equal probabilities of finding values on either side of the mean, highlighting the distribution's symmetry.

Additionally, a normal distribution has specific mathematical properties, such as about 68% of the data falling within one standard deviation of the mean, approximately 95% within two standard deviations, and about 99.7% within three standard deviations. This shape is indicative of many natural phenomena and is commonly used in statistics because it allows for easier calculation of probabilities regarding data.

The other options reflect characteristics of distributions that do not align with a normal distribution. For instance, being skewed to the right or left suggests that the data is asymmetrical and that the tail on one side is longer than the other, which contradicts the bell-shaped, symmetrical nature of normal distributions. Additionally, while a normal distribution can have only one mode (the peak of the distribution), having only one mode alone does not specifically define a normal distribution, as other types of distributions can also have a single mode