Most people are familiar with pie charts, even if they don’t know what they’re called. They’re the charts with the wedges, and they’re used to show how a total is divided into parts. The percentage of each part is illustrated by the size of the wedge, and this makes them great for comparing different categories, as well as illustrating changes in data over time. But there’s more to pie charts than that. Let’s take a closer look at how they work, and some of the best ways to use them.
What is a pie chart?
First of all, pie charts are always circular, and the wedge at the 12 o’clock position is always labeled “100%.” This is because the total of all the slices always adds up to 100%. Next, let’s take a look at the different types of data that can be displayed in a pie chart.
What types of data work in a pie chart?
The most common type of data is percentage data, which is data that is expressed as a percentage of a whole. For example, you might want to compare the percentage of men and women who work in a certain industry.
But pie charts can also be used to display categorical data, which is data that is divided into categories. For example, you might want to compare the percentage of people who voted for different political parties.
Finally, pie charts can be used to display time-series data, which is data that is collected over time. For example, you might want to compare the percentage of people who have a college degree over time. Now that we know a bit more about what pie charts can do, let’s take a look at some of the best ways to use them.
How do you read a pie chart?
To read and analyze a pie chart, you will need to understand the different parts of the pie chart. The pie chart will have a title, the legend, and the data. The title will tell you what the data is about. The legend will tell you what each color in the pie chart means. The data will tell you how much of the pie chart each color represents.
To read a pie chart, start by finding the title. The title will tell you what the data is about. Next, find the legend. The legend will tell you what each color in the pie chart means. Then, find the data. The data will tell you how much of the pie chart each color represents. Finally, use the data to answer questions about the pie chart.
How can you make your own pie chart?
There are a lot of different ways to make a pie chart, but the one of the best ways to do it is to use a software program like Microsoft Excel. In Excel, you can create a pie chart by selecting the data you want to include in the chart and then selecting the “pie chart” option from the “charts” menu. Some platforms even feature a pie chart widget to simplify the process further still.
If you want to create a pie chart by hand, you can start by drawing a circle on a piece of paper. Then, divide the circle into pie-shaped sections by drawing lines from the center of the circle to the edge of the circle. Next, label each section with the percentage of the total that it represents. Finally, draw a line connecting the endpoints of the section lines to create the pie chart.
Overall, pie charts are a useful form of data visualization. They are easy to understand and can quickly show how a large amount of data is divided up—most people can quickly scan a pie chart and understand how a large amount of data is divided up.
