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The company has 5 different attributes, and therefore the pie chart shows 5 divisions (also known as slices of a Pie). For instance, in the above example, we have created a pie chart to represent the expenditure list of an xyz company. Pie charts usually represent the data where the values can be added together or with only one data series (all the data points are positive). The Pie (or the circle) represents the total value, i.e., 100 percent, and each slice of the pie chart adds some per cent to the total. What are Pie Charts? A pie chart is defined as a circular chart with multiple divisions where each division shows the contribution of each value to the total value.
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They might seem easy, but there are a lot more things you should know about them to represent your data in a detailed and professional manner that can add value for the reader/clients/management. See also: Dataviz expert Ann Emery's Pie Chart Guidelines.Pie charts are one of the common elements that are used a lot in Excel worksheets to represent official data.
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Pie charts should be avoided when there are many categories, or when categories do not total 100%. For example, survey questions in yes/no format, data split by gender (male/female), new and returning visitors to a website, etc. Pie charts work best to display data with a small number of categories (2-5). Pie charts are meant to express a "part to whole" relationship, where all pieces together represent 100%. The Pie Chart is a primary chart type in Excel.
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