How to Draw a Pie Chart for Math
You will gather information and represent it in the form of a pie chart, which will give you a visual picture of how each piece of your information compares proportionally to the whole picture. Using percentages, you will calculate the number of degrees for each sector of your circle and complete your chart with color key and a title.
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Instructions
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1
Collect the data. You could use your time during a weekday, using these labels to put on your pie chart: Sleeping, 8 hours; TV, 2 hours; Homework, 4 hours; School, 6 hours; Eating, 2 hours; Free Time, 2 hours.
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2
Calculate the percentages. Take the number of hours out of 24 hours. Sleeping = 8/24 = 33 1/3%. TV = 8 1/3%. Homework = 16 2/3%. School = 25%. Eating = 8 1/3%. Free time = 8 1/3%.
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3
Calculate the degrees to represent the percentages. Find each percentage of the 360 degrees in the circle. Sleeping rounds to 120 degrees, TV 30, Homework 60, School 90, Eating 30 and Free Time 30.
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4
Construct a circle with about a 3-inch radius using a compass. The size of the circle can vary, but allow enough space to write the labels for each activity.
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5
Divide the circle into representative sectors. Line your protractor up with the center of the circle and make your first radius, then use the ruler to mark the first sector of 120 degrees. Draw the new radius, use the protractor on that line and repeat the process for each sector.
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6
Color each sector and make a color key to show which sector represents each of the categories; for instance, Sleeping could be blue. Then label each sector the percentage that sector represents. Now give the finished pie chart a title.
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Tips & Warnings
Work in pencil and finalize in color. Your percentages will add up to 100%. Your degrees will add up to 360.
The 360 degrees on the circle are measurements of the circle, not to be confused with percentages.
