Stemplots

A stemplot (aka, stem and leaf plot) is a type of chart that shows how individual values are distributed within a set of data.

Stemplots

A stemplot is used to display quantitative data, generally from small data sets (50 or fewer observations). The stemplot below shows IQ scores for 30 sixth graders.

In a stemplot, the entries on the left are called stems; and the entries on the right are called leaves. In the example above, the stems are tens (8 represents 80, 9 represents 90, 10 represents 100, and so on); and the leaves are ones. However, the stems and leaves could be other units - millions, thousands, ones, tenths, etc.

Some stemplots include a key to help the user interpret the display correctly. The key in the stemplot above indicates that a stem of 11 with a leaf of 7 represents an IQ score of 117.

Looking at the example above, you should be able to quickly describe the distribution of IQ scores. Most of the scores are clustered between 90 and 109, with the center falling in the neighborhood of 100. The scores range from a low of 81 (two students have an IQ of 81) to a high of 151. The high score of 151 might be classified as an outlier.

Note: In the example above, the stems and leaves are explicitly labeled for educational purposes. In the real world, however, stemplots usually do not include explicit labels for the stems and leaves.