A nutritionist was interested in determining the smoking status of her clients. She asked each of her clients to report his or her current smoking status: Smoker, Ex-Smoker, and Non-Smoker. Which of the following graphical techniques is the best way for her to represent the data?
a. pie chart
b. scatterplot
c. histogram
d. stemplot
pie chart
Why a scatterplot, Lanie?
The best graphical technique for representing the smoking status data in this scenario would be a pie chart. A pie chart is a circular graph that is divided into sections to represent the proportion or percentage of different categories in a data set. In this case, the 3 categories - Smoker, Ex-Smoker, and Non-Smoker - can be represented by different sectors of the pie chart, with each sector's size proportional to the percentage of clients falling into that category.
To create a pie chart, you would follow these steps:
1. Collect the data on each client's smoking status.
2. Calculate the percentage of clients in each smoking status category.
3. Decide on the order and labeling of the categories on the pie chart.
4. Use a tool like spreadsheet software (e.g., Microsoft Excel) or data visualization software (e.g., Tableau) to create the pie chart using the calculated percentages. These software tools have features to create and customize pie charts easily.
Please note that other graphical techniques like scatterplots, histograms, or stemplots are more suitable for representing different types of data or relationships, but in this case, a pie chart is the best option for depicting the distribution of smoking status among the nutritionist's clients.