Which of the following is true regarding the standard deviations in a normal distribution?

In a normal distribution, the empirical rule, also known as the 68-95-99.7 rule, clearly outlines how data is spread around the mean. According to this rule, approximately 68% of the population lies within one standard deviation from the mean, about 95% falls within two standard deviations, and around 99.7% is found within three standard deviations. Therefore, stating that 99.7% of the population falls within three standard deviations is an accurate reflection of this principle.

The concept of equidistance in this context refers to how standard deviations relate to the mean; however, while values are symmetrically distributed, not every value is equidistant from the mean. The statements regarding population percentages within different standard deviations capture the essence of how normal distributions function, reinforcing the importance of understanding the relationship between the mean and standard deviations in statistics.