PL-300 Visualize and analyze the data Practice Question
Which TWO chart types are appropriate for comparing proportions of a whole? (Select TWO.)
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
100% stacked bar chart
A 100% stacked bar chart (B) is correct because it normalizes each bar to 100%, so every segment represents a category's share of the total, making it ideal for comparing part-to-whole proportions across multiple groups. A pie chart (E) is correct because it divides a single circle into slices whose arc angles are proportional to each category's percentage of the whole, directly visualizing composition. The waterfall chart (A) is not appropriate here because it shows how sequential positive and negative values accumulate to a running total, not proportions of a whole. The scatter plot (C) is used to show the relationship or correlation between two numeric variables, and the line chart (D) is used to display trends over a continuous dimension such as time, so neither compares parts of a whole.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Waterfall chart
Why it's wrong here
A waterfall chart is a specialized column chart that visualizes the cumulative effect of sequentially introduced positive or negative values, typically showing how an initial value is increased and decreased by intermediate amounts to reach a final total. It is designed for understanding the step-by-step contribution of each change, not for comparing the relative share of each category against a whole. Because it emphasizes running totals and deltas over time or process stages, it would obscure the proportional relationship the question asks about.
- ✓
100% stacked bar chart
Why this is correct
A 100% stacked bar chart is ideal for comparing proportions because each bar is scaled to the same total height (100%), so the length of each segment directly represents the percentage contribution of that category relative to the whole. This allows you to visually compare the relative distribution of parts across multiple groups on a common scale. The category axis segments are shaded distinctly, making it easy to see how the share of a particular component changes across different bars or time periods.
- ✗
Scatter plot
Why it's wrong here
A scatter plot is used to display the relationship between two continuous variables by plotting individual data points on an x-y coordinate system. It is not designed to show part-to-whole relationships; instead, it reveals correlation, clustering, or outliers between numerical dimensions. While you could encode proportion via bubble size or color, that would be a distortion of a scatter plot's primary purpose and would not provide a clear, direct comparison of proportions across categories.
- ✗
Line chart
Why it's wrong here
A line chart is designed to display data points over a continuous interval or time series, emphasizing trends, patterns, and changes in value over time. It connects individual data points with straight lines, which implies continuity and direction, but it does not partition a whole into its constituent parts. Using a line chart to represent proportions would be misleading because the line's slope would suggest a change in a single quantity rather than a distribution breakdown of a whole.
- ✓
Pie chart
Why this is correct
A pie chart is a circular chart divided into slices, where each slice's arc length and area represent that category's proportion of the total. It is one of the most direct visual encodings of part-to-whole relationships, making it easy to compare each slice's relative size against the full circle. However, pie charts are less effective when there are many categories or when values are close in size, but for simple comparisons of proportions they are a standard and appropriate choice.
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