Medical Biostatistics

Displaying of data using

Stem-and-Leaf Plots

Dr. Tekeste
January- April, 2024
 A stem-and-leaf plot shows data
arranged by place value.
 A convenient method to display every piece of
data by showing the digits of each number.
 You can use a stem-and-leaf plot when
you want to display data in an organized
way that allows you to see each value.
In a stem-and leaf plot, the greatest
common place value of the data is used to
form stems.

The numbers in the next greatest place-

value position are then used to form the
leaves.
 Leaf: The last digit on the right of the
number.
Stem: The digit or digits that remain when
the leaf is dropped.
Look at the number 284
The leaf is the last digit formed: the number 4.
The stem is the remaining digits when the leaf is dropped: the number 28.
The stem with the leaf forms the number 284.
Stem
Leaf
28 4 = 284
 6-9 Stem-and-Leaf Plots
Example 1: Creating Stem-and-Leaf Plots
Use the data in the table to make a stem-and-
leaf plot.

Final Exam Scores #10

75 86 83 91 94
88 84 99 79 86

Step 1: Group the data by tens

75 79
digits.
83 84 86 86 88
Step 2: Order the data from least
to greatest. 91 94 99

Course 1
 6-9 Stem-and-Leaf Plots
Example 1 Continued
Step 3: List the tens digits of the 75 79
data in order from least to
greatest. Write these in the 83 84 86 86 88
“stems” column. 91 94 99

Step 4: For each tens digit, record

the ones digits of each data
value in order from least to
greatest. Write these in the
“leaves” column. Test Scores
Stems Leaves
Step 5: Title the graph and add a key. 7 5 9
8 3 4 6 6 8
Key: 7 5 means 75 9 1 4 9

Course 1
 6-9 Stem-and-Leaf Plots
Example : Reading Stem-and-Leaf Plots
Find the least value, greatest value, mean,
median, mode, and range of the data.

The least stem and least leaf

give the least value, 40. Stems Leaves
4 00157
The greatest stem and 5 1124
greatest leaf give the 6 333599
greatest value, 94. 7 044
8 367
Use the data values to find the
mean (40 + … + 94) ÷ 23 = 64. 9 14

Key: 4 0 means 40

Course 1
 6-9 Stem-and-Leaf Plots
Example
The median is the middle
value in the table, 63.

To find the mode, look for the

number that occurs most Stems Leaves
often in a row of leaves. Then 4 00157
identify its stem. The mode is 5 1124
63. 6 333599
7 044
The range is the difference 8 367
between the greatest and
9 14
the least value. 94 – 40 =
54. Key: 4 0 means 40

Course 1
 6-9 Stem-and-Leaf Plots

Example 2
Find the least value, greatest value, mean,
median, mode, and range of the data.

The least stem and least leaf

give the least value, 30. Stems Leaves
3 02568
The greatest stem and 4 1134
greatest leaf give the
5 456999
greatest value, 85.
6 124
Use the data values to find the 7 569
mean (30 + … + 85) ÷ 23 = 55.
8 15
Key: 3 0 means 30
Course 1
 6-9 Stem-and-Leaf Plots

Example 2 Continued

The median is the middle value in the table, 56.

To find the mode, look for Stems Leaves

the number that occurs 3 02568
most often in a row of
4 1134
leaves. Then identify its
stem. The mode is 59. 5 456999
6 124
The range is the difference
between the greatest and the 7 569
least value. 85 – 30 = 55. 8 15
Key: 3 0 means 30
Course 1
 6-9 Stem-and-Leaf Plots
Class work

1. Make a stem-and-leaf plot of the data.

42 36 40 31 29 49 21 28 52 27 22
35 30 46 34 34
Find each value using the stem-and-leaf plot.

1. What is the least and greatest values?

2. What is the mean?

3. What is the median?

4. What is the mode?

5. Range
Course 1
 6-9 Stem-and-Leaf Plots
Class work
1. Make a stem-and-leaf plot of the data.

42 36 40 31 29 49 21 28 52 27
22 35 30 46 34 34
Stems Leaves
2 1 2 7 8 9
3 0 1 4 4 5 6
4 0 2 6 9
5 2
Key: 3 | 0 means 30
Course 1
 6-9 Stem-and-Leaf Plots

Find each value using the stem-and-leaf plot.

2. What is the least value? 21

3. What is the mean? 34.75

4. What is the median? 34
5. What is the mode? 34

Course 1
 Age of United states Presidents at their First
Inauguration: 57 61 57 57 58 57 61 54 68 51 49
64 50 48 65 52 56 46 54 49 50 47 55 54 42
51 56 55 51 54 51 60 62 43 55 56 61 52
69 64 (Through the 40th presidency)
Notice that the data (numerical facts) are numbers between 42-
69. Create the stem by listing numbers from 4-6.
Stem Leaf
4 9 8 6 9 7 2 3

5 7 7 7 8 7 4 1 0 2 6 4 0 5 4 1 6 5 1 4 1 5 6 2
6 1 1 8 4 5 0 2 1 9 4
Key: 5 7 means 57

Match up the data to the stem-and-leaf. The last digit in 57 will match up with the stem 5.
Then the last digit in 61 will match up with the stem 6. Then the last digit in 57 will match
up with the stem 5 and this pattern will continue until all data have been recorded in the
 Age of United states Presidents at their First
Inauguration: 57 61 57 57 58 57 61 54 68 51 49
64 50 48 65 52 56 46 54 49 50 47 55 54 42 51
56 55 51 54 51 60 62 43 55 56 61 52 69
64 (Through the 40th presidency)

Rearrange the leaf

in numerical order
from least to
greatest
Stem Leaf

4 2 3 6 7 8 9 9 Key: 5 7 means 57

5 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8
6 0 1 1 1 2 4 4 5 8 9
 It is easy to interpret or analyze information from the Stem-
and-Leaf.
1. How many presidents were 51 years old at their
inauguration? 4
2. What age is the youngest president to be inaugurated? 42
3. What is the age of the oldest president to be inaugurated?
4. How many presidents were 40-49 years old at their 69

inauguration? 7
Stem Leaf: Age of United States Presidents at their First Inauguration
(through the 40th Presidency) Rearrange the leaf in
4 2 3 6 7 8 9 9
numerical order from least
to greatest

5 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8
Key: 5 7 means 57
6 0 1 1 1 2 4 4 5 8 9
 Stem and Leaf Diagrams
Here are the marks gained by 30 students in an examination:
63 58 61 52 59 65 69 75 70 54 57 63 76 81 64
68 59 40 65 74 80 44 47 53 70 81 68 49 57 61

Write the tens figures in the left hand column of a diagram.

These are the ‘STEMS’
4
5
6
7
8
 Stem and Leaf Diagrams
Here are the marks gained by 30 students in an examination:
63 58 61 52 59 65 69 75 70 54 57 63 76 81 64
68 59 40 65 74 80 44 47 53 70 81 68 49 57 61
When all the marks are entered the diagram will look like this:

4 0 4 7 9
5 8 2 9 4 7 9 3 7
6 3 1 5 9 3 4 8 5 8 1
7 5 0 6 4 0
8 1 0 1
 Stem and Leaf Diagrams
Here are the marks gained by 30 students in an examination:
63 58 61 52 59 65 69 75 70 54 57 63 76 81 64
68 59 40 65 74 80 44 47 53 70 81 68 49 57 61
Rewrite the diagram so that the units figures in each row are
in order:

4 0 4 7 9
5 2 3 4 7 7 8 9 9
6 1 1 3 3 4 5 5 8 8 9
7 0 0 4 5 6
8 0 1 1
 Stem and Leaf Diagrams
Here are the marks gained by 30 students in an examination:
63 58 61 52 59 65 69 75 70 54 57 63 76 81 64
68 59 40 65 74 80 44 47 53 70 81 68 49 57 61
Add a KEY:

4 0 4 7 9
5|2 = 52 5 2 3 4 7 7 8 9 9
6 1 1 3 3 4 5 5 8 8 9
7 0 0 4 5 6
8 0 1 1
 Stem and Leaf Diagrams

Remember:
- Always put in a Key
- Always put your data in Order

Median:
- to work out the median, you must find the middle value
- if there are two middle values, you need the average

Range:
- to work out the Range, subtract the smallest number from
the biggest
 Stem and Leaf Diagrams

The stem & leaf diagram below shows the weights in kg of some people.
(a) How many people were weighed?
(b) What is the range of the masses?
(c) Find the median mass.

Stem Leaf

tens 3 1 4 units Median is the

mean of the
4 3 3 6 8th and 9th
data values.
5 0 3 4 8
6 1 2 (a) 16 people.

7 2 2 7 (b) 86 – 31 = 55 kg
8 1 6
(c) 56 kg
Probability, Next