In a stem-and-leaf plot, what does the stem represent?

In a stem-and-leaf plot, what does the stem represent?

• A. The trailing digits.
• B. The data values in the tens place.
• C. The leading digits (the higher-order place) of the data.
• D. The frequency count.

Answer: (C)

The stem in a stem-and-leaf plot carries the higher-order digits of each value—the leading part of the number. For two-digit data, that means the tens digit. The leaves hold the lower-order digits (the units). This setup lets you see the distribution of the data while keeping the exact values intact. For example, with values like 12, 15, 23, 27, 34, the tens digits (1, 2, 3) become the stems, and the units (2, 5, 3, 7, 4) become the leaves under each stem.

The stem in a stem-and-leaf plot carries the higher-order digits of each value—the leading part of the number. For two-digit data, that means the tens digit. The leaves hold the lower-order digits (the units). This setup lets you see the distribution of the data while keeping the exact values intact. For example, with values like 12, 15, 23, 27, 34, the tens digits (1, 2, 3) become the stems, and the units (2, 5, 3, 7, 4) become the leaves under each stem.