Using stem-and-leaf plots to visually analyze and display numerical data

stem-and-leaf graph/stemplot

A stem-and-leaf plot, also known as a stemplot, is a way to organize and display numerical data

A stem-and-leaf plot, also known as a stemplot, is a way to organize and display numerical data. It is especially useful for smaller data sets, as it provides a quick visual representation of the data distribution, including individual values.

To create a stemplot, we separate each data value into a stem and a leaf. The stem represents the leading digit(s) of the data value, and the leaf represents the trailing digit(s). Let’s say we have a set of data values: 12, 15, 16, 17, 22, 25, 25, 27, 30. The stem-and-leaf plot for this data would look like this:

1 | 2 5 6 7
2 | 2 5 5 7
3 | 0

Here, the stems are the first digit of each data value, and the leaves are the second digit. The vertical bar separates the stem from the leaves.

To read the plot, we start from the left and move from stem to stem, noting the leaves that correspond to each stem. For example, for the first stem of 1, we have leaves of 2, 5, 6, and 7. Similarly, for the second stem of 2, we have leaves of 2, 5, 5, and 7. Lastly, for the third stem of 3, we have a leaf of 0.

This stem-and-leaf plot allows us to easily observe the distribution of the data. We can see that there are two values in the 10s range, four values in the 20s range, and one value in the 30s range. The plot also shows us each individual data value.

Stem-and-leaf plots can be particularly helpful for identifying outliers, finding patterns or regularities in the data, and comparing data sets. They provide a visual tool that allows for a deeper understanding of the data distribution.

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