FRAME 45.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NORMAL CURVE
There are six characteristics of the normal curve which, when combined, make it different
from any other type of distribution.
First, it is SYMMETRICAL around the arithmetic mean. In other words, the half on each side of
the mean will exactly fit the other half when 'flipped over." Both identically shaped halves of the
curve together take on the general shape of a bell.
FRAME 46.
Second, the tails at each end of the normal distribution get closer and closer to the base line,
the farther they are from the mean. The tails never touch the base line, however. We say the tails
are asymptotic to the horizontal axis. This allows for extreme values - the three foot midget, the
eight foot giant, very low expenses, or very high expenses, whichever the case may be.
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