Final answer:
A bar chart is best for comparing the total dollars spent among five fast food restaurants because it provides a clear visual comparison of numerical values across multiple categories.
Step-by-step explanation:
To compare the total dollars spent among five fast food restaurants, a bar chart would be the most effective visual tool. Bar charts display categories on one axis and values on the other, with the length of each bar representing the amount spent. This type of chart is excellent for comparing numerical values across different categories, such as the spending at various restaurants. A bar chart offers a clear visual comparison and can more easily accommodate the comparison of several different data points than a pie chart, especially when the number of categories is more than a few. Pie charts are useful for showing how a whole is divided into parts, but with many slices, they can become hard to read. Line graphs are better suited to showing trends over time rather than comparing individual categories. A stacked column chart could also display the data, but it focuses on the composition of the total amount spent at each restaurant, rather than facilitating a direct comparison between the totals of each one.