Which term describes a distribution with a sharp peak relative to a normal distribution?

Which term describes a distribution with a sharp peak relative to a normal distribution?

• A. Platykurtic
• B. Leptokurtic
• C. Mesokurtic
• D. Kurtosis

Answer: (B)

The idea here is how peaked a distribution is compared to a normal curve, which is described by kurtosis. A leptokurtic distribution has a sharper, taller peak than a normal distribution and tends to have fatter tails, meaning more extreme values than normal. That makes it the best match for a distribution described as having a sharp peak. Platykurtic is flatter than normal, with a lower peak and thinner tails, so not a match. Mesokurtic is about the normal shape, with a peak similar to the normal curve. Kurtosis is the measure of peakedness/tails, not the descriptor of the shape itself.

The idea here is how peaked a distribution is compared to a normal curve, which is described by kurtosis. A leptokurtic distribution has a sharper, taller peak than a normal distribution and tends to have fatter tails, meaning more extreme values than normal. That makes it the best match for a distribution described as having a sharp peak.

Platykurtic is flatter than normal, with a lower peak and thinner tails, so not a match. Mesokurtic is about the normal shape, with a peak similar to the normal curve. Kurtosis is the measure of peakedness/tails, not the descriptor of the shape itself.