What is a stem and leaf plot?

Question

What is a stem and leaf plot?

Answer 1

I'm a teacher and had to teach about them last year...I didn't even know what they were!

http://regentsprep.org/Regents/math/data...

Answer 2

Stem-and-leaf plots are a method for showing the frequency with which certain classes of values occur. You could make a frequency distribution table or a histogram for the values, or you can use a stem-and-leaf plot and let the numbers themselves to show pretty much the same information.

For instance, suppose you have the following list of values: 12, 13, 21, 27, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 40, 41. You could make a frequency distribution table showing how many tens, twenties, thirties, and forties you have:

Stem - S

Leaf - L

S   L  

1   | 2  3

2   | 1  7

3   | 3 4 5 7

4   | 0 0 1

The "stem" is the left-hand column which contains the tens digits. The "leaves" are the lists in the right-hand column, showing all the ones digits for each of the tens, twenties, thirties, and forties. As you can see, the original values can still be determined; you can tell, from that bottom leaf, that the three values in the forties were 40, 40, and 41.