ITPEC FE Morning April 2018 Question 77

Pareto Chart — identifying correct Pareto diagram structure

A Pareto chart combines a bar chart (sorted in descending order) with a cumulative percentage line. Two key visual rules:

1. Bars are sorted from tallest (left) to shortest (right) — the most frequent cause comes first
2. The cumulative line rises monotonically and is concave down — each additional bar contributes less, so the curve flattens as it approaches 100%

In this question:
- (b) has bars in descending order with a concave-down cumulative curve — correct Pareto chart

Why not others:
- a) Bars are descending, but the cumulative curve is concave up (curves upward), which would mean later categories contribute more — contradicts the descending bar order
- c) Bars are in ascending order (smallest first) — violates the Pareto sorting rule
- d) Bars are unsorted and the line rises then falls — not a cumulative percentage curve at all

Key rule: In a Pareto chart, bars go from tallest to shortest (left to right), and the cumulative line is always concave down, ending at 100%.

AI-generated — may contain errors