A stacked bar chart illustrates the budget allocation (in thousands of dollars) for three categories (Salaries, Equipment, Marketing) across four different departments (HR, IT, Finance, Operations) in Q2. Which department spent the *least* on 'Equipment' AND the *most* on 'Salaries'?

The correct answer to the question "A stacked bar chart illustrates the budget allocation (in thousands of dollars) for three categories (Salaries, Equipment, Marketing) across four different departments (HR, IT, Finance, Operations) in Q2. Which department spent the *least* on 'Equipment' AND the *most* on 'Salaries'?" is Option A: HR.

The other options — B) IT, C) Finance, D) Operations — are incorrect for this GMAT Exam Prep question. As explained above: Visually inspect the 'Equipment' segment for each department to find the smallest. Then, for that same department, check if its 'Salaries' segment is the largest among all departments.