Stem –and–Leaf Plots
TL;DR: Need to display a small data set on paper without losing a single value? A stem-and-leaf plot is the move. You split each number into a stem (the leading digits) and a leaf (the trailing digit), then line them up neatly. The result keeps every original value visible while showing you clusters, gaps, and outliers at a glance. It’s the kind of visual you can sketch in a notebook in under a minute, and the patterns practically jump off the page once you do.
Key takeaways:
- Split each data value into a stem (leading digits) and a leaf (last digit).
- List the stems vertically in a column, in order, with leaves to the right.
- Leaves on each stem should be in increasing order, separated by spaces.
- Stem-and-leaf plots preserve every original data value, unlike histograms.
- Best for small to medium data sets (roughly 10-50 values).
Stem and leaf plots get represented in the form of a special kind of table where each \(1\)st digit or numeral of data value gets split up into a stem and then the final digit of information in a leaf. This ” \(|\) ” symbol is utilized to exhibit stem and leaf values and it’s known as the stem and leaf plot key.
Related Topics
How do you Read Stem and Leaf Plots?
A stem and leaf plot key assists in understanding the data values. The stem is shown on the left but a leaf is shown on the right. If the values of the stem and the leaves are combined, you end up with the data values.
How do you Split a Stem and Leaf Plot?
A split stem and leaf plot divides each stem into numerous stems dependent on its occurrence. We put smaller leaves on the \(1\)St part of a split stem and put the bigger leaves on successive stems.
How do you create a Stem and Leaf Plot?
Follow these steps to create a stem and leaf plot.
- Step one: Examine the info and locate the number of figures. Categorize them as two or three-digit numerals.
- Step two: Install a stem and leaf plot key. For instance, \(2\) | \(4 = 24\), as well as \(3\) | \(1\) is \(31\).
- Step three: Distinguish the \(1\)St figures as stems and make the final numeral as leaves.
- Step four: Define the data’s range, i.e. The bottom and the top values amongst your data.
- Step five: Create a vertical line. Put the stem on the lefthand column and put the leaf on the righthand column.
- Step 6: Put these stems in the stems column. Organize it in rising order beginning with the lowest possible to the highest.
- Step seven: Plot these leaves in the column compared to the stem from the least to the most horizontally.
Necessary Notes
Here are a few vital notes related to stem and leaf plots. Be sure to read them!
- If info is plotted using stem and leaf and you place the data next to the brand-new information, we may be able to notice a link between both the data and the frequency of dissemination of information.
- A stem and leaf plot key for \(3\)-digit numbers is characterized via \(2\) digits in a stem as well as \(1\) numeral in a leaf. For instance, \(43\) | \(2\) \(= 432\)
- The mean, mode, and median of the provided info are calculated easily by utilizing stem and leaf plots.
Stem, and, Leaf Plots, Example 1:
Make a stem and leaf plot for the given data.
\(42,35,13,22,17,33,25\)
Solution:
First, you should arrange data from small to large: \(13,17,22,25,33,35,42\). Draw a stem-and-leaf plot. Note that the stem is the left column and the leaf is the right column. Divide each number into two parts: stem part and leaf part. The “ones’” digit is located in the leaf column. Note if the data is in one digit, we put zero in the stem section.

Stem, and, Leaf Plots, Example 2:
Make a stem and leaf plot for the given data.
\(110,121,135,115,122,136\)
Solution:
First, you should arrange data from small to large: \(110,115,121,122,135,136\). Draw a stem-and-leaf plot. Note that the stem is the left column and the leaf is the right column. Divide each number into two parts: stem part and leaf part. The “ones’” digit is located in the leaf column. Note if the data is in one digit, we put zero in the stem section.

Exercises for Stem, and, Leaf Plots
Make stem and leaf plots for the given data.
- \(\color{blue}{54,76,62,56,71,60,45}\)
- \(\color{blue}{170,166,193,182,163,171,195,174}\)

1.

2.

Frequently Asked Questions
What is a stem and leaf plot in math?
A stem and leaf plot is a table that organizes numbers by splitting each value into a stem, usually the tens digit, and a leaf, the ones digit. For the scores 62, 65 and 71, the stem 6 has leaves 2 and 5, and the stem 7 has leaf 1. Every original value stays visible, so you can still compute with the data.
What is a stem and leaf plot key?
The key explains how to read the stems and leaves together. A key such as 4 | 7 = 47 tells you each stem is a tens digit. If the data were decimals, the key might say 4 | 7 = 4.7 instead. Without a key, the same plot could mean very different numbers, so always include one.
How do you read stem and leaf plots?
Join each stem with each of its leaves to rebuild the data values. If the row reads 3 | 0 4 4 9 and the key says 3 | 0 = 30, the values are 30, 34, 34 and 39. Count all the leaves to know how many data points there are, then find the median, mode or range from that list.
What is a stem and leaf plot used for?
It is used to display a small or medium set of numbers so you can see the shape of the data and still read every exact value. It makes clusters, gaps and outliers easy to spot, and it helps you quickly find the median, mode and range, for example when comparing test scores in a class.
How do you make a stem and leaf plot with decimals?
Use the whole-number part as the stem and the tenths digit as the leaf. For 2.3, 2.8, 3.1 and 3.6, the stem 2 gets leaves 3 and 8, and the stem 3 gets leaves 1 and 6. Add a key like 2 | 3 = 2.3 so readers know where the decimal point belongs.
Does a stem and leaf plot have to be in order?
Yes. Stems are listed from smallest to largest down the left side, and the leaves on each row are written in increasing order. Ordering makes the median and other values easy to find. If a stem has no data, keep it in the list with no leaves so gaps in the data still show.
Related Lessons You May Like
- How to find the measures of central tendency
- How to find range, quartile, and interquartile range
- How to graph a box plot
- How to interpret a histogram
- How to read a frequency distribution table
For a friendly tour of statistics that builds intuition first, Pre-Algebra for Beginners covers the basics. For deeper work, Algebra II for Beginners moves into inferential statistics.
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