Which statement most accurately describes a symmetrical distribution?

Which statement most accurately describes a symmetrical distribution?

• A. The distribution has a long left tail.
• B. The distribution is not symmetrical.
• C. Each side of the distribution is equal.
• D. The distribution has a long right tail.

Answer: (C)

Symmetry means the two halves around the center mirror each other. In a symmetrical distribution, the left side matches the right side in shape and spread, so the tails are about the same length and the center is balanced. A long left tail or a long right tail signals skewness, where one side extends farther than the other, so those describe non-symmetric forms. Saying the distribution is not symmetrical directly contradicts symmetry. Therefore, the statement that each side of the distribution is equal best captures the idea, and in a perfectly symmetric case the mean, median, and mode coincide.

Symmetry means the two halves around the center mirror each other. In a symmetrical distribution, the left side matches the right side in shape and spread, so the tails are about the same length and the center is balanced. A long left tail or a long right tail signals skewness, where one side extends farther than the other, so those describe non-symmetric forms. Saying the distribution is not symmetrical directly contradicts symmetry. Therefore, the statement that each side of the distribution is equal best captures the idea, and in a perfectly symmetric case the mean, median, and mode coincide.