A normal distribution is often described by the shape of its curve as:

1. The visual signature of a normal distribution is unmistakable. 2. Height data for a large sample, for example, is asked about in terms of whether the curves would look bell-shaped. 3. The curve rises to a single peak at the mean and falls away symmetrically on both sides. 4. A rectangular shape would be a uniform distribution instead. _Source: OpenStax Introductory Statistics 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 6 'The Normal Distribution', sections 6.1-6.3_