A large car manufacturer is interested in comparing the number of sales for a specific model of electric car across all 50 US states. The data analytics team sourced and acquired the data, and the business analyst created the model to compare sales across states. In a meeting to review the results, the feedback received included several complaints concerning an inability to distinguish the number of sales per state.
What model would result in such confusion?
A pie chart would result in confusion when comparing the number of sales for a specific model of electric car across all 50 US states. Pie charts are suitable for showing proportions or percentages of a whole, not for comparing absolute numbers on such a large scale. With 50 categories (states), the slices in a pie chart would be too small and numerous, making it nearly impossible to distinguish between them and compare the sales figures accurately.
Pie Chart: Pie charts are useful for showing proportions or percentages of a whole. They divide a circle into slices to represent different categories. In the context of comparing the number of sales across 50 US states, using a pie chart could make it difficult to accurately compare absolute numbers because the slices (representing each state) do not easily convey precise quantities. It's challenging to discern small differences in magnitude or exact values between states in a pie chart, especially when dealing with a large number of categories (50 states).