Stem and leaf plot generator
A stem and leaf plot is a histogram that keeps every original number. Paste data and the plot builds itself, leaf by leaf.
Key: 6 | 2 = 62 (leaf unit = 1)
How a stem and leaf plot works
Each number is split into a stem (every digit except the last) and a leaf (the last digit). Stems go down the middle once each; leaves are written in order beside their stem. Turn the plot on its side and it is a histogram, except that every original value can still be read back.
Example
The values 62, 65, 67 and 71 become the rows 6 | 2 5 7 and 7 | 1. The key "6 | 2 = 62" tells a reader how to decode them, and a plot without a key is incomplete.
Reading the median off the plot
Because the leaves are already sorted, count leaves from the top until you reach the middle position, (n + 1) / 2. With 20 values, the median is the average of the 10th and 11th leaves.
Split stems and back-to-back plots
When one stem has too many leaves, split it in two: leaves 0 to 4 on the first line, 5 to 9 on the second (marked with a dot here). To compare two groups, such as test scores for two classes, add a second data set: its leaves grow to the left of the shared stems. For larger data sets, the histogram maker scales better.
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Questions students ask
How do you make a stem and leaf plot?
Sort the data. Split each number into a stem (all but the last digit) and a leaf (the last digit). Write each stem once in a column, and list its leaves in order beside it. Always include a key, such as 4 | 7 = 47.
How do you read a stem and leaf plot?
Combine the stem with each leaf using the key. The row with the most leaves is where the data cluster, and the leaf with the most repeats is the mode.
How do you handle decimals?
Choose the place value for the leaf and state it in the key. For example, with a leaf unit of 0.1, 3 | 4 means 3.4. This tool picks the unit from your data and lets you change it.
What is a back-to-back stem and leaf plot?
Two data sets share one column of stems, with one set's leaves going left and the other going right, which makes them easy to compare.