Which term describes a graphical diagram of the steps or decision process contained in an algorithm?

Which term describes a graphical diagram of the steps or decision process contained in an algorithm?

• A. Data flow diagram
• B. Use case diagram
• C. Flow chart
• D. Class diagram

Answer: (C)

A flow chart visualizes the sequence and decision points of an algorithm. It uses standard shapes—rectangles for steps and diamonds for decisions—connected by arrows to show the exact order of operations, including where paths branch and loops occur based on conditions. This makes it the best way to depict the step-by-step control flow of an algorithm. Data flow diagrams focus on how data moves between processes and data stores, not the internal control flow. Use case diagrams illustrate user interactions with system functionality, not procedural steps. Class diagrams show the static structure of code (classes and relationships), not the step-by-step algorithm. So the diagram that describes the steps and decisions is a flow chart.

A flow chart visualizes the sequence and decision points of an algorithm. It uses standard shapes—rectangles for steps and diamonds for decisions—connected by arrows to show the exact order of operations, including where paths branch and loops occur based on conditions. This makes it the best way to depict the step-by-step control flow of an algorithm. Data flow diagrams focus on how data moves between processes and data stores, not the internal control flow. Use case diagrams illustrate user interactions with system functionality, not procedural steps. Class diagrams show the static structure of code (classes and relationships), not the step-by-step algorithm. So the diagram that describes the steps and decisions is a flow chart.