What percentage of data in a normal distribution lies within 2 standard deviations from the mean?

In a normal distribution, the empirical rule (also known as the 68-95-99.7 rule) describes how data is spread out around the mean. According to this rule, approximately 68% of the data falls within one standard deviation of the mean, about 95% falls within two standard deviations, and approximately 99.7% lies within three standard deviations.

Therefore, when considering the range of data within two standard deviations from the mean, the proportion that lies within this range is approximately 95%. This close clustering of data within two standard deviations indicates that most values in a normal distribution are not far from the mean, emphasizing how common this range is within statistical analyses. The understanding of these standard deviations is essential for interpreting data distributions and making informed decisions based on statistical analysis.

The other percentages in the provided choices do not accurately represent the typical data distribution observed in a normal distribution relative to two standard deviations from the mean, making 95% the correct answer in this context.