Question

If the mean of a normal distribution is negative, what can be said about the shape of the distribution?

1) The distribution is symmetric
2) The distribution is skewed to the left
3) The distribution is skewed to the right
4) The distribution cannot be determined

Answer 1

A normal distribution with a negative mean is skewed to the left.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the mean of a normal distribution is negative, then the distribution is skewed to the left. A left (or negative) skewed distribution has a shape where the tail extends to the left side of the mean, indicating the presence of more low values. This is in contrast to a symmetric distribution, which has equal frequencies on both sides of the mean, and a right (or positive) skewed distribution, which has a tail extending to the right side of the mean.