What type of chart is a disk divided into wedge-shaped pieces that are proportional to the relative frequencies?

A pie chart is a circular chart divided into wedge-shaped pieces, where each wedge represents a portion of the whole. The size of each wedge corresponds to the relative frequency of each category, allowing for a clear visual representation of how different segments contribute to the total. This format makes it easy to compare the proportions of various categories at a glance, which is especially helpful when you have a small number of categories to display.

In contrast, bar charts use rectangular bars to represent data, where the length or height of the bar reflects the value of the data points. Histograms are similar but are used for showing the distribution of numerical data, with bars representing ranges of values rather than distinct categories. Box plots, on the other hand, summarize data through their quartiles and highlight the median, but do not display category proportions visually like a pie chart does. Therefore, the distinguishing characteristic of the pie chart is its ability to show each category's share of the total in a visual format that conveys proportionality effectively.