displaying data

Bar chart

Uses horizontal or vertical bars to represent values for discrete categories; best for comparing many categories or when labels are long.

Column chart

Vertical bars representing values across up to about seven categories; best for quick comparisons of a small number of categories.

Stacked column chart

Each column subdivided into segments representing parts of the total; best for showing composition across categories.

Stacked area chart

Multiple area series piled on one another; best for showing how composition changes over time.

Histogram

Column chart that bins continuous data into intervals; best for displaying the distribution of a single quantitative variable.

Line chart

Connected points showing a variable’s value over a continuous axis; best for revealing trends over time with many data points.

Area chart

Line chart with the area beneath the line filled; best for highlighting cumulative totals over time.

Pie / Donut chart

Circular chart divided into sectors representing parts of a whole; best for simple part‑to‑whole comparisons with few slices (≤ 6).

Scatter plot

Plot of paired x‑y values; best for identifying relationships or correlation between two quantitative variables.

Bubble chart

Scatter plot where marker size encodes a third variable; best for exploring relationships among three quantitative variables.

Multi‑axes chart

Chart overlaying series with separate Y‑axes; best for comparing series that have different units or scales.