Would a circle graph (pie chart) or a bar graph be preferable for displaying the volume of water found in different oceans visually?

Bar graph; A bar graph is better when showing and comparing know values.
Circle graph; A circle graph is better when showing knowing and comparing known values.
Circle graph ;A circle graph is better when showing known percentages and unknown values.
Bar graph; A bar graph is better when showing known percentages and known values.

1 answer

For displaying the volume of water found in different oceans, a bar graph would generally be preferable. This is because a bar graph is better suited for comparing discrete values, such as the volumes of water in different oceans, allowing for easy visualization of differences in their sizes.

Here’s a breakdown of why the bar graph is more effective in this context:

  • Bar Graph: Clearly shows the exact volumes for each ocean, allowing for straightforward comparisons. It emphasizes the differences in values and makes it easy to rank the oceans by volume.

  • Pie Chart (Circle Graph): While it can display proportions, it is less effective for comparing values when the absolute differences are important. If the volumes are not in percentage form or if the focus is on actual volume, a pie chart can be misleading or harder to interpret.

So, based on this reasoning, the most accurate choice would be:

Bar graph; A bar graph is better when showing and comparing known values.