Which visual type is typically used to display trends over time in Power BI?

The line chart is the ideal visual type for displaying trends over time in Power BI because it effectively highlights changes and patterns across a continuous range of values. This visual connects individual data points with a line, allowing users to observe fluctuations, identify peaks and valleys, and understand overall trends in the data over specified time intervals.

Line charts excel in showcasing how variables evolve through time, which is critical for time series analysis. For instance, a line chart displaying sales performance over several months can reveal seasonality, growth trends, or declines, making it an invaluable tool for data-driven decision-making.

In contrast, pie charts are best suited for presenting proportions of a whole rather than change over time, bar charts can compare quantities across categories but do not effectively illustrate trends, and scatter plots are designed to show relationships between two numerical variables instead of temporal changes. Thus, the line chart stands out as the most effective choice for this specific analytical purpose.