Which of the following is typically considered a basic chart type in spreadsheets?

• A. Sankey diagram.
• B. Vertical column chart
• C. Radar chart.
• D. Gantt chart.

Answer: (B)

Visualizing data in spreadsheets often starts with a basic bar chart to compare values across categories. The vertical column chart fits that role: it uses upward bars to represent numeric values for each category, making it easy to see which categories are higher or lower. It’s a standard, built-in option in most spreadsheet tools, quick to create and simple to interpret, which is why it’s considered a basic chart type. The other options serve more specialized purposes: Sankey diagrams show flows between elements, radar charts compare several variables on axes arranged around a circle, and Gantt charts map out project timelines. For straightforward category-by-value comparisons, the vertical column chart is the most typical starting point.