Stem and Leaf Diagrams

Prior Knowledge:
• Identifying the mode of a data set.
• Calculating the range of a data set.
• Identifying the median of a data set.
• Understanding when the median would be better to use than the mean, when interpreting
data sets.

A stem and leaf diagram allows you to visualise an ordered data set. Each piece of data will have
a stem and a leaf. A key tells you what each value represents.
30 04
3 stem leaf 0 0 stem leaf 4
0 0 4
1 1
Key
2 2 1|8 = 18
3 0 3
4 4

Example 1
The data set shows the ages, in years, of people working in an educational technology office.
19, 52, 49, 48, 49, 18, 27, 31, 32, 58, 23, 34, 34, 25, 34, 47, 35

Step 1: Rewrite the data set in ascending order.

18, 19, 23, 25, 27, 31, 32, 34, 34, 34, 35, 47, 48, 49, 49, 52, 58

Step 2: Split each piece of data into a stem and leaf. In this example, the stem represents the tens
and the leaf represents the units.
18 , 19, 23, 25, 27, 31, 32, 34, 34, 34, 35, 47, 48, 49, 49, 52, 58

18
1 stem leaf 8
1 8
2
3
4
5

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Step 3: Continue splitting each piece of data into a stem and leaf, placing them in the diagram.
1 8, 9
2 3, 5, 7
3 1, 2, 4, 4, 4, 5
4 7, 8, 9, 9
5 2, 8

Step 4: Add a key.

1 8, 9
2 3, 5, 7
Key
3 1, 2, 4, 4, 4, 5
1|8 = 18
4 7, 8, 9, 9
5 2, 8

51 2, 7, 9
Example 2
52 5, 5, 5, 8
The ordered stem and leaf diagram represents the Key
53 0, 4, 9, 9
number of students on roll in each secondary school, 51 | 2 = 512
54 1, 8, 9, 9
in a district.
55 1, 2, 4, 5, 7

The key shows us that the stem represents the hundreds and tens; the leaf represents the units.

1. How many schools are represented in the stem and leaf diagram?

To find the total amount of schools represented on the stem and leaf diagram, we need
to count the leaves. There are 20 leaves, therefore there are 20 schools represented.

2. What is the maximum number of students currently on roll at any of the schools?

As the stem and leaf diagram is in size order, we can simply look at the last leaf and
read it with its stem. In this case, the stem is 55 on the last row, and the last leaf for
this stem is 7. This tells us that 557 is the maximum number of students currently on
roll at any of the schools.

3. What is the range of the numbers of students on roll at the schools?

To find the range, we subtract the smallest number from the largest. We already know
the largest number of students is 557. To find the smallest number, we need to look
at the first stem and leaf. The first stem is 51 and the first leaf is 2 so the smallest
number of students is 512.

557 – 512 = 45

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4. What is the modal number of students on roll at the schools?

Look for leaves that are repeated together in a row to find the mode. In this case,
the 52 stem has three 5s in a row. By combining the stem and the leaf, we arrive at a
modal value of 525. As 9 appears the most in the leaves, it would be easy to think that
this was the mode. However, the 9s represent different values when combined with
their stems.

5. Calculate the median number of students at roll in the schools.

There are 20 schools represented so we are looking for the 10th and 11th pieces of
data. To find these, count the leaves in the order they appear. The 10th and 11th pieces
of data are both 539 therefore the median is 539.

Your Turn

1. The ages, in years, of people at a wedding party are shown below. Draw an ordered stem and
leaf diagram to represent them. A key has been included.

25, 26, 13, 02, 16, 30, 31, 88, 72, 55, 56, 51, 58, 24, 25, 26, 25, 25, 24, 21, 23, 24, 25

0
1
2
Key
3 2 | 1 = 21 years old
5
7
8

2. The data shows the number of ice creams sold daily over two weeks. Draw an ordered stem
and leaf diagram to represent the data. You should include a key.

52, 51, 38, 39, 37, 41, 40, 36, 59, 30, 31, 39, 44, 45

3
Key
4
| =
5

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3. Suzy is practising darts. She throws a single dart 15 times and records the score each time.
The results are shown below. Present her data in an ordered stem and leaf diagram and
complete the key.

5, 21, 60, 40, 1, 13, 20, 36, 40, 57, 50, 8, 16, 16, 5

0
1
2
Key
3 2|1=
4
5
6

4. Jacob planted 10 sunflower seeds and recorded the heights of the plants, in cm, after 4
weeks.

70, 68, 72, 65, 79, 82, 61, 64, 72, 84

a. Draw an accurate stem and leaf diagram to show this data.

6
7 Key
6|4=
8

b. State the modal height of his sunflower plants after 4 weeks.

5. Jamal and Lancia play a card game. Jamal records the winning scores in an ordered stem and
leaf diagram and states the modal score is 2. Lancia states that the modal score is 25.

2 5, 5, 1, 2, 5
3 2, 2, 7, 9 Key
2 | 5 = 25
4 282063

a. Who is correct? You must give a reason for you answer.

b. Identify one mistake on the stem and leaf diagram.

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6. Ms Brown would like an alternative way of displaying the percentage scores of her year 9
class for a recent maths test. She decides on a stem and leaf diagram.

a. Produce an ordered stem and leaf diagram for Ms Brown, adding anything that you think
is necessary.

76, 55, 82, 87, 65, 66, 67, 81, 89, 72, 77, 11, 88, 72, 58, 45, 72, 78, 82, 66, 68

1
4
5
Key
6
7
8

b. Ms Brown decides that she needs to calculate the median percentage as the mean would
not be suitable. Explain why she made this decision.

7. Brooke has started walking to build up her fitness levels. The walks she has taken this month
are recorded, in km, and represented in the stem and leaf diagram shown below.

0 7, 9
1 1, 3, 6, 7
2 2, 2, 2, 5, 8
Key
3 4, 8, 9 1 | 3 = 1.3km
4 3, 8, 8
5 1

a. Identify the modal length of her walks.

b. Calculate the range in the length of her walks.

c. Evaluate the median length of her walks.

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8. The temperatures of children staying on a hospital ward were recorded, in degrees Celsius.
Show this data in an ordered stem and leaf diagram and include a key.

37.5, 36.4, 36.7, 38, 40.2, 39.6, 40.1, 36.4, 36.2, 38.5, 39.9, 36.9

Key

A temperature greater than 38.0°C is usually considered to be high and could be a sign of a
fever. Calculate the median temperature, in degree Celsius, of the children.

Challenge
Two classes sat the same maths test. The test was out of 50. The marks for both classes were
recorded in the stem and leaf diagram shown below.

Class A Class B
2 0 8, 9
7, 5 1 3, 5, 7
Key
9, 9, 9, 8, 7, 7, 6, 5 2 1, 5, 7, 9, 9
1 | 2 = 12 marks
9, 8, 7 3 0, 1, 5, 7, 8, 8
9, 9, 8, 7, 5 4 2, 9
5 0

1. Calculate the range of marks scored by the two classes. What does this tell you about the
spread of data?


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2. Identify the modal marks of the two classes.

3. By comparing the median marks of both classes, state which class achieved the average
higher marks.

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