Which visualization would be most suitable to gauge how much of the third quarter sales goal has been achieved?

The gauge visualization is particularly effective for displaying progress toward a specific goal, such as sales targets. It allows viewers to quickly assess how much of the third quarter sales goal has been achieved by providing a clear visual representation of the current value in relation to the target value. The use of a gauge can illustrate various segments, such as underperformance, achieving the goal, and exceeding the goal, making it intuitive for users to interpret their performance at a glance.

In contrast, while a bar chart can show the sales figures relative to the goal, it may not efficiently communicate the concept of progress toward a specific target in one glance. A line chart is typically used for trends over time and may not effectively highlight a single goal. A histogram is designed to show the distribution of data rather than progress against a target, making it less suitable for this type of information. Hence, the gauge is the most fitting choice for visualizing the achievement progress toward the sales goal.