Which of these characteristics distinguishes a normal curve from a general bell curve?1 pointThe normal curve has fewer data points in the tails than in the center.The bell curve has a symmetrical shape.The mean and mode of the distribution are equal.The normal curve has fixed proportions of values within defined sections of the distribution.

The characteristic that distinguishes a normal curve from a general bell curve is that the normal curve has fixed proportions of values within defined sections of the distribution.

Here's a step-by-step explanation:

1. Both the normal curve and the general bell curve are symmetrical in shape, meaning they are identical on both sides of the center. So, this characteristic does not distinguish between the two.

2. Both the normal curve and the bell curve have the same mean and mode. This means that the average value (mean) and the most frequently occurring value (mode) are the same. So, this characteristic also does not distinguish between the two.

3. While it's true that the normal curve has fewer data points in the tails than in the center, this is also true for the general bell curve. So, this characteristic does not distinguish between the two.

4. The key difference is that the normal curve has fixed proportions of values within defined sections of the distribution. This means that for a normal curve, about 68% of the data falls within one standard deviation of the mean, about 95% falls within two standard deviations, and about 99.7% falls within three standard deviations. This is not necessarily the case for a general bell curve. So, this is the characteristic that distinguishes a normal curve from a general bell curve.