Which chart type is used to show parts of a whole?

• A. Histogram.
• B. Line chart.
• C. Pie chart.
• D. Area chart.

Answer: (C)

Pie charts are used to show parts of a whole. They express each category as a slice of a circle, with the size of each slice proportional to its share of the total. This makes it easy to see which parts dominate the whole and how the pieces compare to one another at a glance.

Histograms focus on the distribution of data values, not how a total is composed. Line charts track changes over time, highlighting trends rather than proportions of a whole. Area charts show the magnitude of quantities across a continuum and can emphasize total levels, but they don’t convey the one-to-many composition as clearly as a pie chart when the goal is to compare portions of a total.