Pie charts
Pie charts show percentages as a circle, divided into segments.
This pie chart shows how students travel to school. Each piece of data is shown as a proportion of 360, because there are 360 degrees in a circle. If 25 out of 100 students travel to school by car, the angle is worked out using the calculation: (25 ÷ 100) × 360 = 90 degrees.
When describing a pie chart, you should include: -
- The proportion or percentage of one segment compared to another.
- The highest and lowest shown by the biggest and smallest segment.
- The differences indicated by the size of each segment.
Question
Describe, in detail, the transport used to by students getting to school.
Hint: highest and lowest including values. You could group similar types of vehicles together.
The most common mode of transport is bus at 41%. The least common method, shown by the smallest segment, is taxi at 2%.
Cycling is the second least common mode of transport and accounts for 11%, and walking accounts for 21%.
Bus and cars combined account for 66%.
Question
Explain why car and bus are the most popular methods of transport used.
Hint: To explain you have to give reasons why.
Buses are the most common as these are often provided by the school or local authority. They pick up pupils in a variety of places in the school catchment area. This is useful if pupils live too far away to walk or if parents are working and cannot drop them off by car.
Cars are also common as they are more convenient and usually quicker than buses.
Cars and buses both help to protect pupils from the weather too.
