Line Chart
An example of a line chart using the same sales data is shown below. Line charts are ideal for showing trends in data over time.
Pie Chart
A pie chart can be produced for only one set of data values. It is known as a pie chart because it looks like a pie divided into a number of slices.
To make the pie chart more visible, it can be shown in 3D or exploded where individual slices are separated. Both 3D and exploded can be selected at the same time.
Pie charts show the data values relative to the total of the values. Each data value is shown in a pie chart as a percentage or proportion of the whole pie.
A pie chart can be used when:
- There is only one set of data values to plot
- None of the values are negative
- Very few of the values are zero
- The data values represent all the parts of the whole
The image below is based on sales of an item in different countries around the world. They are set out in the quantity sold column for each country. Each value is then shown as a percentage of the whole on the pie chart.
