Some types of data are better suited to specific types of charts.

	Chart type				Uses/Characteristics
			Bar		Best for comparing sets of values or to show ranking. Each set is a data series and is represented by the same color or pattern of bars.
			Area		Best for showing the relative size or importance of data over time. Also good for charting physical volumes.
			Line		Best for revealing trends over time.
			Scatter		Values are plotted as single points, with each point shown as a symbol. Best for highlighting trends or relationships between sets of data.
			Pie		Best for showing percentages of a whole. If you plot more than one division of data, AppleWorks creates a separate pie for each division.
			Pictogram		A bar chart with pictures instead of bars.
			Stacked bar		Best for comparing cumulative totals and showing how much individual values contribute to the total.
			Stacked area		Best for showing cumulative totals of data over time. Especially effective for charting volumes.
			X-Y line		Use to compare pairs of values. Also useful for seeing statistical samplings of data.
			X-Y scatter		Use to compare pairs of values and for statistical samplings of data.
			Hi-low		Use to show how pairs of values differ over time. Often used to plot the price of stocks or commodities.
			Stacked pictogram		A stacked bar chart with a different picture for each data series.