Final answer:
The most accurate way to sort data in multiple columns vertically in descending order is to start with the last (rightmost) column and proceed to the first (leftmost) column, known as hierarchical or precedence sorting. This ensures that if values in the higher precedence columns are the same, the subsequent columns will determine their order.
Step-by-step explanation:
When multiple columns of data are sorted vertically in descending order, the most accurate statement among the ones listed is: The last column is sorted first, followed by the second last column, and so on. This sorting method is commonly known as sort precedence or hierarchical sorting, where each column is given a level of priority with the last column being the highest. Hence, the sort operation works through each column beginning with the highest precedence (the last column) and works its way towards the first column.
For instance, when ordering data from the last to the first column, if two rows have the same value in the last column, the sorting will then proceed to the second last column to determine their order. This way of sorting is efficient when you have related columns and you want to group data with secondary criteria.
To provide a clearer example:
- Order the following data from largest to smallest:
- 5,500,000
- 1,095,000
- 659,000
- 639,000
- 575,000
- 529,000
- 488,800
- 479,000
- 389,950
- 387,000
- 230,500
- 158,000
- 114,950
As demonstrated in the example, the data is sorted in descending order starting with the largest value descending to the smallest value, aligning with the second statement.