What data should I put in a circle graph?

Question

I have to make a circle graph in math, and the teacher said we can pick our own data. But I have no idea what I want to do. What are some good suggestions, of data?

Answer 1

She wanted you to generate x and y coordinates of a circle regardless of the radius you want to use.

A complete circle is from 0 to 360º. That is one turn. Like in the clock, 0 and 360 is the same as 12:00.

Process:
1. Consider your radius = 100
2. Use angles 0 up to 360 in order to calculate the x and y coordinates of your circle. Use scientific calculator.

X=sin(angle) x radius
Y=cos(angle) x radius

3. On a piece of paper, write in a table like this:

Radius = 100

(Angle,X,Y)
0,0,100
1,1.74,99.98
45,70.71,70.71
90,100,0
135,70.71,-70.71
180,0,-100
270,-100,0

I just used several angles while you can use all the angles from 0 to 359 to complete the circle.

The X and Y calculated if plotted in the cartesian plane will form a circle.

Now, if you complete your assignment, ask your teacher to generate circle in the computer and I bet he/she cannot do that.

Answer 2

A circle graph is good to compare the distinct different things that make up a whole and is generally not used to track trends. An example might be: assume you have one sibling with brown hair, one with red hair, and two with blond hair...the graph would be 1/4 brown, 1/4 red, and 1/2 (2/4) blond.
You could do the weather for a week (cloudy/raining/sun).

I am not sure your level, so these might be simplistic. You could also use demographic data like American ethnicity or income brackets.

Answer 3

Anything you can express as a fraction, ratio, or a percentage will work - the hair color of your former boyfriends, the color of the houses on different sides of your street, the different makes of cars in the school parking lot - any will do.