Which of the following types of graphs is most appropriate for visualizing the distribution of a qualitative ($\mathrm{categorical}$) variable?

• A. Scatter plot
• B. Boxplot
• C. Histogram
• D. Bar chart

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the nature of the variable: A qualitative (categorical) variable represents categories or groups, such as colors, types, or labels, rather than numerical values.
2. Recall the purpose of each graph type: A scatter plot shows relationships between two numerical variables; a boxplot summarizes the distribution of a numerical variable; a histogram displays the frequency distribution of numerical data.
3. Recognize that for categorical data, we want to visualize the frequency or count of each category clearly.
4. Identify that a bar chart is designed to display the frequency or proportion of categories by using bars, making it ideal for qualitative variables.
5. Conclude that among the given options, the bar chart is the most appropriate graph type to visualize the distribution of a qualitative (categorical) variable.