[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
The graph of a normal or Gaussian distribution is often referred to as the bell curve due to its resemblance to a bell. While there are other types of distribution that look like a bell when graphed, such as Cauchy or logistic distributions, the bell curve usually refers to a normal or Gaussian curve. This curve is an extremely useful statistical tool, as it allows you to calculate the probability of events or values for a real-valued random variable. For this reason, this tool is sometimes used to make predictions regarding financial investments. However, you should tread carefully, as normally distributed variables are not common in this area.<\/p>\n
In this guide, you will learn what a bell curve is and what it represents. You will learn how a bell curve works through the example of the standard normal distribution, and you will also learn how to graph this distribution using Google Sheets. Finally, you will learn about common uses of the normal distribution in finance and the precautions you should take if you want to use it.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”what-is-a-bell-curve” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
The bell curve is the informal name given to the graph of a normal or Gaussian distribution, which is a continuous probability distribution for a real-valued random variable. It is perfectly symmetrical on either side of the mean, represented by the peak of the bell. The width is determined based on standard deviations<\/a> from the mean.<\/p>\n Below, you have the graph of the standard normal distribution.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bell-curve-graph-standard-normal-distribution.webp” alt=”Bell curve graph \u2014 standard normal distribution from -3 to 3 with a peak of 0.4 at the mean” title_text=”Standard normal distribution from -3 to 3 with a peak of 0.4 at the mean” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n However, it\u2019s important to note that the normal or Gaussian distribution is not the only one shaped like a bell: Cauchy, logistic, and Student\u2019s t distributions are also bell-shaped. The unique characteristics of normal distributions make them valuable analytic tools, but only if you\u2019re dealing with variables that are normally distributed. This is not always the case in finance, so be careful how you use it.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”how-does-a-bell-curve-work” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n The area under the curve represents the probability, adding up to a total of 1. The further from the mean along the x-axis, the lower the probability. However, note that the tails of the graph are asymptotic, which means they approach the x-axis, but never actually meet it.<\/p>\n Below, you can see how the values are distributed in a standard normal distribution. Values within one standard deviation of the mean (-1 to 1) account for 68.2% of the total, while values within two standard deviations account for 95.4%. Values within three standard deviations account for 99.7% of the total. Remember that the tails are asymptotic, which is why it\u2019s not 100%.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/how-to-read-a-bell-curve-68-95-99-7.webp” alt=”How to read a bell curve \u2014 standard normal distribution labeled with the 68.2%, 95.4% and 99.7% ranges” title_text=”Standard normal distribution labeled with the 68.2%, 95.4% and 99.7% ranges” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n In the next section, you will learn how to create the standard normal distribution curve using Google Sheets.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”how-to-make-a-bell-curve-graph-in-google” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Below, you have step-by-step instructions on how to create a bell curve of the standard normal distribution, which has a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. However, the data will be set up so you can easily change the mean or standard deviation as needed.<\/p>\n 1.<\/strong> Open Google Sheets.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bell-curve-google-sheets-blank-spreadsheet.webp” alt=”Bell curve in Google Sheets \u2014 blank spreadsheet with cell A1 selected” title_text=”Blank spreadsheet with cell A1 selected” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> In separate cells, type in the mean and standard deviation for a standard normal distribution: 0 and 1, respectively.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bell-curve-google-sheets-mean-standard-deviation.webp” alt=”Bell curve in Google Sheets \u2014 mean of 0 in B1 and standard deviation of 1 in B2″ title_text=”Mean of 0 in B1 and standard deviation of 1 in B2″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 3.<\/strong> First, define the percentiles that will make up the x-axis, which shows standard deviations from the mean. I\u2019ll use values between -3 and 3 in intervals of 0.1.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bell-curve-google-sheets-percentiles.webp” alt=”Bell curve in Google Sheets \u2014 percentiles from -3 in steps of 0.1 in column A” title_text=”Percentiles from -3 in steps of 0.1 in column A” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 4.<\/strong> Next, calculate the x values by adding the mean to the product of the percentile and the standard deviation. Use absolute referencing<\/a> for the mean and standard deviation.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bell-curve-google-sheets-x-value-formula.webp” alt=”Bell curve in Google Sheets \u2014 =$B$1+(A5*$B$2) typed in cell B5 under x-values” title_text=”=$B$1+(A5*$B$2) typed in cell B5 under x-values” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 5.<\/strong> Press \u2018Enter\u2019. In this case, the x-values will equal the percentiles.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bell-curve-google-sheets-first-x-value.webp” alt=”Bell curve in Google Sheets \u2014 first x-value of -3 in cell B5″ title_text=”First x-value of -3 in cell B5″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 6.<\/strong> Grab the fill handle<\/a> and drag it down to the last row to get the rest of the values.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bell-curve-google-sheets-fill-x-values.webp” alt=”Bell curve in Google Sheets \u2014 x-values filled down column B to match the percentiles” title_text=”X-values filled down column B to match the percentiles” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 7.<\/strong> Next, you need to calculate the y values. Use the probability density function for the normal distribution, NORM.DIST.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bell-curve-google-sheets-norm-dist-function.webp” alt=”Bell curve in Google Sheets \u2014 =NORM.DIST( typed in cell C5 with the formula help open” title_text=”=NORM.DIST( typed in cell C5 with the formula help open” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 8.<\/strong> For the first parameter, select the cell with the first x value. For the second and third parameters, use absolute referencing to select the mean and the standard deviation, respectively.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bell-curve-google-sheets-norm-dist-parameters.webp” alt=”Bell curve in Google Sheets \u2014 =NORM.DIST(B5,$B$1,$B$2 with standard_deviation highlighted” title_text=”=NORM.DIST(B5,$B$1,$B$2 with standard_deviation highlighted” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 9.<\/strong> The fourth parameter is \u201cFALSE\u201d, as the result should not be cumulative. Close the parenthesis and press \u2018Enter\u2019.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bell-curve-google-sheets-norm-dist-false.webp” alt=”Bell curve in Google Sheets \u2014 =NORM.DIST(B5,$B$1,$B$2,FALSE) with a 0.004431848412 preview” title_text=”=NORM.DIST(B5,$B$1,$B$2,FALSE) with a 0.004431848412 preview” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 10.<\/strong> Grab the fill handle and drag it down to the last row.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bell-curve-google-sheets-y-values.webp” alt=”Bell curve in Google Sheets \u2014 y-values filled down column C” title_text=”Y-values filled down column C” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 11.<\/strong> Select the x and y values and go to Insert > Chart.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bell-curve-google-sheets-insert-chart.webp” alt=”Bell curve in Google Sheets \u2014 Insert menu open with Chart highlighted” title_text=”Insert menu open with Chart highlighted” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 12.<\/strong> That’s it. You have a bell curve. Google Sheets plots the data as a line graph<\/a>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bell-curve-graph-google-sheets-line-chart.webp” alt=”Bell curve graph in Google Sheets \u2014 line chart of y-values vs. x-values with the chart editor open” title_text=”Line chart of y-values vs. x-values with the chart editor open” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 13.<\/strong> You can easily change the values of the mean and standard deviation, and the rest will update automatically.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bell-curve-graph-google-sheets-new-mean.webp” alt=”Bell curve graph in Google Sheets \u2014 mean of 6 and standard deviation of 2 with the updated curve” title_text=”Mean of 6 and standard deviation of 2 with the updated curve” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_id=”when-is-the-bell-curve-used-in-finance” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Financial analysts often use the bell curve and other types of distributions to model potential outcomes in different investment scenarios. Depending on the type of analysis, the purpose is to predict future stock prices, default rates, or earnings. However, this can be very problematic, as many financial variables don\u2019t have a normal distribution. If that is the case, the results will not be very helpful and could be highly misleading. For this reason, it\u2019s important to check that you\u2019re dealing with a normally distributed variable before using the normal distribution or bell curve in your analysis.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”conclusion” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n As you have seen, the bell curve or normal distribution is a very useful statistical tool. However, it should only be used to analyze variables that are normally distributed. Unfortunately, many of the variables of interest to financial investors have non-normal distributions, which makes using the bell curve very risky.<\/p>\n You now know what a bell curve is and how it works. You know that 68.2% of the observations fall within one standard deviation of the mean and 95.4% within two standard deviations. You also know that the standard normal distribution has a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1, and you know how to graph it using Google Sheets. You also know about its use in finance, as well as the associated dangers when used with non-normal distributions.<\/p>\n Before you fit a bell curve graph to your own numbers, plot them as a histogram in Google Sheets<\/a> and check that the shape looks like a bell. The PERCENTILE function<\/a> tells you where a single value falls. If your data is spread across several spreadsheets, Sheetgo<\/a>, an AI-powered data automation platform, can bring it into one sheet and keep it up to date.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Une courbe en cloche repr\u00e9sente une loi normale. Apprenez \u00e0 la lire, \u00e0 comprendre son fonctionnement et \u00e0 la cr\u00e9er dans Google Sheets \u00e9tape par \u00e9tape.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":265401,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-265385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-google-sheets-features"],"acf":[],"permalink_manager":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265385\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/265401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}How does a bell curve work?<\/h2>\n
How to make a bell curve graph in Google Sheets<\/h2>\n
When is the bell curve used in finance?<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n