Which visualization type effectively shows a third dimension of data?

The bubble chart is an effective visualization type for illustrating a third dimension of data because it utilizes three distinct properties to represent information visually: the x-axis, the y-axis, and the size of the bubbles. This allows users to plot data points in a two-dimensional space while also conveying additional quantitative information through the size of each bubble.

For example, in a bubble chart, you might plot sales data with the x-axis representing time, the y-axis representing the amount sold, and the size of the bubble indicating the profit margin. This layered approach of displaying data facilitates deeper analysis and insights, enabling viewers to observe relationships and trends that may not be easily identifiable with just two dimensions.

Other visualization types, such as pie charts and line charts, focus primarily on two dimensions or attributes; they do not incorporate a third dimension. A pie chart cannot effectively showcase variations in a third variable, while a line chart tends to express trends or changes over time without the ability to represent an additional data dimension by size. The scatter chart does visually plot two dimensions but lacks the capability to convey an extra variable through size like a bubble chart does.