Stem Plots
Another way to display numerical data is by representing it as a stem plot. This way large data sets can be organised to allow us to calculate median values. It is also known as stem-and-leaf plots in some textbooks.
The stem represents the leading digit and the leaf represent the trailing digit. These stem plots allow us to order the data values in an easy and accessible way.
For example, the following stem plot represents the different ages at the library:
|
Stem |
Leaf |
|
1 |
7,9 |
|
2 |
0,3,5,9 |
|
3 |
0,1,2,6,7,7 |
|
4 |
0 |
Since there are 13 different data values the 7th value will determine the median. Hence, the median value is 30.
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