Simple Pie Charts — Definition

Definition

A simple pie chart shows how one total is divided among categories. Each sector's angle is proportional to its category's share, so all sectors together make 360 degrees and all percentages make 100 percent.

For example, a 90-degree sector represents one quarter of the whole, whatever the total's size. The chart can support conversions among angles, percentages and amounts, as well as ratios between categories.

It cannot reveal an absolute amount unless a total or an equivalent amount-to-share relationship is supplied. The first step is to identify the whole and determine what kind of labels the sectors carry.