Introduction
Pie, Doughnut, Area, and Scatter Charts are useful for presenting different types of Excel data visually. Pie and Doughnut Charts show how a total is divided, Area Charts help display trends over time, and Scatter Charts help analyze the relationship between two numerical values. This chapter contains practical questions covering these chart types with different datasets and concepts. Pie, Doughnut, Area and Scatter Chart Practice Questions with Solutions to help you understand the concepts.
Question 1: Create a Pie Chart for Department Expenses
Problem Statement
Create a Pie Chart to show how the company’s total expenses are divided among different departments.
Excel Data
| Department | Expense |
|---|---|
| IT | ₹85,000 |
| HR | ₹45,000 |
| Marketing | ₹70,000 |
| Finance | ₹55,000 |
| Operations | ₹95,000 |
Excel Solution
- Select A1:B6.
- Go to Insert → Pie or Doughnut Chart.
- Select 2-D Pie.
- Add the chart title:
Department Expenses
- Add Data Labels if required.
Expected Result
The Pie Chart should contain five slices representing the five departments.
Operations will have the largest slice because it has the highest expense.
Concepts Covered
- Pie Chart
- Part-to-whole analysis
- Expense visualization
- Data Labels
Question 2: Create a Pie Chart for Product Sales
Problem Statement
Create a Pie Chart to show each product’s contribution to total sales.
Excel Data
| Product | Sales |
|---|---|
| Laptop | ₹250,000 |
| Monitor | ₹145,000 |
| Keyboard | ₹65,000 |
| Mouse | ₹48,000 |
| Printer | ₹110,000 |
Excel Solution
Select A1:B6.
Go to:
Insert → Pie or Doughnut Chart → 2-D Pie
Set the chart title to:
Product Sales Contribution
Expected Result
The chart should show each product as a separate slice.
Laptop will have the largest slice because it has the highest sales value.
Concepts Covered
- Pie Chart
- Product sales
- Sales contribution
- Chart title
Question 3: Display Percentages in a Pie Chart
Problem Statement
Create a Pie Chart showing the percentage contribution of different marketing channels.
Excel Data
| Marketing Channel | Leads |
|---|---|
| 450 | |
| 300 | |
| YouTube | 250 |
| 180 | |
| 120 |
Excel Solution
- Select A1:B6.
- Go to Insert → Pie or Doughnut Chart → 2-D Pie.
- Select the chart.
- Go to Chart Design → Add Chart Element → Data Labels.
- Select More Data Label Options.
- Enable Percentage.
Expected Result
Each slice should display the percentage contribution of that marketing channel.
For example, Google will represent the largest percentage because it has the highest number of leads.
Concepts Covered
- Pie Chart
- Data Labels
- Percentage
- Marketing analysis
Question 4: Create a Doughnut Chart for Budget Allocation
Problem Statement
Create a Doughnut Chart showing how a company’s annual budget is distributed.
Excel Data
| Category | Budget |
|---|---|
| Salaries | ₹500,000 |
| Marketing | ₹200,000 |
| Technology | ₹150,000 |
| Office | ₹100,000 |
| Training | ₹50,000 |
Excel Solution
- Select A1:B6.
- Go to Insert → Pie or Doughnut Chart.
- Select Doughnut.
- Add the chart title:
Annual Budget Allocation
Expected Result
The Doughnut Chart should show the relative share of each budget category.
Salaries will occupy the largest section.
Concepts Covered
- Doughnut Chart
- Budget allocation
- Part-to-whole analysis
- Chart title
Question 5: Create an Area Chart for Monthly Revenue
Problem Statement
Create an Area Chart to visualize the movement of monthly revenue.
Excel Data
| Month | Revenue |
|---|---|
| January | ₹55,000 |
| February | ₹62,000 |
| March | ₹70,000 |
| April | ₹65,000 |
| May | ₹82,000 |
| June | ₹95,000 |
| July | ₹105,000 |
Excel Solution
- Select A1:B8.
- Go to Insert → Line or Area Chart.
- Select 2-D Area.
- Add the chart title:
Monthly Revenue Trend
Expected Result
The Area Chart should show the movement of revenue from January to July.
Concepts Covered
- Area Chart
- Revenue trend
- Time-series data
- Monthly analysis
Question 6: Create a Stacked Area Chart for Product Revenue
Problem Statement
Compare the monthly revenue of two products using a Stacked Area Chart.
Excel Data
| Month | Laptop | Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| January | 85,000 | 45,000 |
| February | 92,000 | 52,000 |
| March | 105,000 | 58,000 |
| April | 98,000 | 62,000 |
| May | 115,000 | 70,000 |
| June | 125,000 | 78,000 |
Excel Solution
- Select A1:C7.
- Go to Insert → Line or Area Chart.
- Select 2-D Area → Stacked Area.
- Set the chart title:
Laptop and Monitor Revenue
Expected Result
The chart should contain two stacked areas representing Laptop and Monitor revenue.
It should allow you to see the contribution of both products and their combined revenue movement.
Concepts Covered
- Stacked Area Chart
- Multiple data series
- Product comparison
- Revenue trend
Question 7: Create a Scatter Chart for Study Hours and Marks
Problem Statement
Create a Scatter Chart to examine the relationship between study hours and examination marks.
Excel Data
| Study Hours | Marks |
|---|---|
| 2 | 48 |
| 3 | 55 |
| 4 | 61 |
| 5 | 68 |
| 6 | 74 |
| 7 | 81 |
| 8 | 87 |
| 9 | 93 |
Excel Solution
- Select A1:B9.
- Go to Insert → Scatter (X, Y) or Bubble Chart.
- Select Scatter.
- Add the chart title:
Study Hours vs Marks
Expected Result
Each pair of values should appear as a separate point.
The points generally move upward as study hours increase.
Concepts Covered
- Scatter Chart
- X-axis
- Y-axis
- Relationship between variables
Question 8: Create a Scatter Chart for Advertising Spend and Sales
Problem Statement
Create a Scatter Chart to examine the relationship between advertising expenditure and sales.
Excel Data
| Advertising Spend | Sales |
|---|---|
| 10,000 | 45,000 |
| 15,000 | 52,000 |
| 20,000 | 61,000 |
| 25,000 | 68,000 |
| 30,000 | 76,000 |
| 35,000 | 85,000 |
| 40,000 | 94,000 |
Excel Solution
- Select A1:B8.
- Go to Insert → Scatter (X, Y) or Bubble Chart.
- Select Scatter.
- Set the chart title:
Advertising Spend vs Sales
Expected Result
- X-axis → Advertising Spend
- Y-axis → Sales
The plotted points will help you visually examine the relationship between advertising spending and sales.
Concepts Covered
- Scatter Chart
- X-axis and Y-axis
- Business data analysis
- Relationship analysis
Question 9: Create a Scatter Chart for Experience and Salary
Problem Statement
Create a Scatter Chart to compare employee experience with monthly salary.
Excel Data
| Employee | Experience (Years) | Monthly Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Rahul | 1 | 30,000 |
| Priya | 2 | 38,000 |
| Amit | 3 | 45,000 |
| Neha | 4 | 52,000 |
| Arjun | 5 | 60,000 |
| Simran | 7 | 78,000 |
| Karan | 9 | 95,000 |
Excel Solution
For the Scatter Chart, use the two numerical columns:
- Experience
- Monthly Salary
Select B1:C8.
Go to:
Insert → Scatter → Scatter
Set the chart title:
Employee Experience vs Monthly Salary
Expected Result
- X-axis → Experience
- Y-axis → Monthly Salary
Each employee’s experience and salary combination should appear as a point.
Concepts Covered
- Scatter Chart
- Numerical X/Y data
- Relationship analysis
- Data selection
Question 10: Select the Correct Chart for Different Data
Problem Statement
You have four different datasets. Select the appropriate chart type for each dataset.
Dataset A: Market Share
| Company | Market Share |
|---|---|
| Company A | 35% |
| Company B | 25% |
| Company C | 20% |
| Company D | 12% |
| Others | 8% |
Required Chart: Pie Chart
Dataset B: Monthly Revenue
| Month | Revenue |
|---|---|
| January | 55,000 |
| February | 62,000 |
| March | 68,000 |
| April | 75,000 |
| May | 82,000 |
| June | 95,000 |
Required Chart: Area Chart
Dataset C: Budget Distribution
| Category | Budget |
|---|---|
| Salary | 500,000 |
| Marketing | 150,000 |
| Technology | 200,000 |
| Office | 100,000 |
| Training | 50,000 |
Required Chart: Doughnut Chart
Dataset D: Experience and Salary
| Experience | Salary |
|---|---|
| 1 | 30,000 |
| 2 | 35,000 |
| 3 | 42,000 |
| 5 | 55,000 |
| 7 | 72,000 |
| 10 | 95,000 |
Required Chart: Scatter Chart
Excel Solution
Create each chart separately.
Dataset A
Insert → Pie or Doughnut Chart → 2-D Pie
Dataset B
Insert → Line or Area Chart → 2-D Area
Dataset C
Insert → Pie or Doughnut Chart → Doughnut
Dataset D
Insert → Scatter → Scatter
Expected Result
You should create:
- Pie Chart → Market Share
- Area Chart → Monthly Revenue
- Doughnut Chart → Budget Distribution
- Scatter Chart → Experience vs Salary
Concepts Covered
- Choosing the correct chart
- Pie Chart
- Doughnut Chart
- Area Chart
- Scatter Chart
- Data visualization
- Chart selection
Key Takeaways
- Pie Charts show how categories contribute to a total.
- Doughnut Charts are useful for part-to-whole comparisons.
- Area Charts are useful for displaying trends over time.
- Scatter Charts show the relationship between two numerical variables.
- Pie and Doughnut Charts are useful when the number of categories is manageable.
- Scatter Charts use numerical X and Y values.
- Area Charts work particularly well with time-based data.
- Data Labels can display values or percentages on charts.
- Selecting the correct chart type is an important Excel skill.
- Charts make numerical data easier to understand and analyze.
FAQs
1. What is a Pie Chart used for in Excel?
A Pie Chart shows how individual categories contribute to a total.
2. What is a Doughnut Chart?
A Doughnut Chart is similar to a Pie Chart but has a blank center. It is useful for showing part-to-whole relationships.
3. What is an Area Chart used for?
An Area Chart is mainly used to display trends over time while emphasizing the size of the values.
4. What is a Scatter Chart?
A Scatter Chart displays pairs of numerical values as individual points. It is useful for examining relationships between two variables.
5. What is the difference between Pie and Doughnut Charts?
Both show part-to-whole relationships. A Pie Chart is a complete circle, while a Doughnut Chart has a hole in the center.
6. When should I use a Scatter Chart?
Use a Scatter Chart when you have two numerical variables, such as:
- Study Hours and Marks
- Experience and Salary
- Advertising Spend and Sales
7. Can I display percentages in a Pie Chart?
Yes. Add Data Labels and enable the Percentage option under Format Data Labels.
8. Can an Area Chart have multiple data series?
Yes. You can use multiple data series and choose different Area Chart types, including Stacked Area.
9. Can I add a title to these charts?
Yes. Use:
Chart Design → Add Chart Element → Chart Title
10. How can I change a Pie Chart into a Doughnut Chart?
Select the chart and go to:
Chart Design → Change Chart Type → Doughnut
Written by Shubhranshu Shekhar, who has trained 20000+ students in coding.
