Stem and Leaf Diagram

How to Construct a Stem-and-Leaf Diagram:

1. Separate each data point into a stem and a leaf:

   • The stem represents the leading digit(s).

   • The leaf represents the trailing digit(s).

2. List the stems vertically in ascending order.

3. Write the leaves for each stem horizontally, in ascending order.

Example:

Consider the following data: 23, 25, 27, 31, 33, 35, 38, 42, 45, 48.

The stem-and-leaf diagram would look like this:

2 | 3 5 7

3 | 1 3 5 8

4 | 2 5 8

Interpreting a Stem-and-Leaf Diagram:

• Shape of the distribution: Symmetric, skewed, or uniform.

• Center: The typical value, often represented by the median.

• Spread: The range of values, from the minimum to the maximum.

• Outliers: Values that are significantly different from the rest of the data.

Advantages of Stem-and-Leaf Diagrams:

• Easy to construct and understand.

• Preserves the original data values.

• Provides a visual representation of the data distribution.

• Can be used to identify patterns and outliers.

Limitations of Stem-and-Leaf Diagrams:

• Not suitable for large datasets.

• Can be cumbersome for data with many digits.

• Less precise than other visualization techniques like histograms.