Which of the following statements about patterns in data visualization is correct when comparing $\mathrm{qualitative}$ and $\mathrm{quantitative}$ data?

• A. Histograms are most appropriate for visualizing patterns in categorical ($\mathrm{qualitative}$) data.
• B. Pie charts are best for showing patterns in $\mathrm{quantitative}$ data, while scatterplots are best for $\mathrm{qualitative}$ data.
• C. Line graphs are typically used to display patterns in $\mathrm{qualitative}$ data.
• D. Bar charts are commonly used to display patterns in $\mathrm{qualitative}$ data, while histograms are used for $\mathrm{quantitative}$ data.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the difference between qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data represents categories or labels (e.g., colors, types), while quantitative data represents numerical values that can be measured or counted.
2. Step 2: Recognize the appropriate visualization types for qualitative data. Bar charts and pie charts are commonly used because they display frequencies or proportions of categories clearly.
3. Step 3: Recognize the appropriate visualization types for quantitative data. Histograms and line graphs are typically used to show distributions and trends in numerical data.
4. Step 4: Analyze each statement by matching the data type with the correct visualization. For example, histograms are not suitable for qualitative data because they show frequency distributions of numerical intervals.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the correct statement is the one that pairs bar charts with qualitative data and histograms with quantitative data, as this aligns with standard data visualization practices.