Step by step
The question
Question: make a stem-and-leaf plot of 23, 31, 27, 45, 38, 22, 41 and 35.
Find the median.
1 Split the numbers
The tens digit is the stem.
The ones digit is the leaf.
23: stem 2, leaf 3.
Careful!
Every plot needs a key.
2, line, 3 means 23, not 5.
2 Write the leaves
The stems go down the side: 2, 3 and 4.
23: leaf 3 goes after stem 2.
We cross out 23.
31: leaf 1 after stem 3.
And so on, in the order they come.
3 Put the leaves in order
Now we write the plot again, with each row of leaves in order, smallest first.
Stem 2: 2, 3 and 7.
And the key: 2, line, 3 means 23.
4 Read the plot
The leaves are in order now.
We cross out the smallest and the biggest.
And the next pair, and so on.
Two are left in the middle: 31 and 35.
The median is halfway between them.
Halfway: we add them and divide by 2.
31 plus 35 is 66.
Divided by 2 is 33.
So the median is 33.
5 Check
Let's check: the plot has 8 leaves, one for each of the 8 numbers.
So none is lost!
Let's look back.
First: split the numbers.
Then: write the leaves.
Then: put the leaves in order.
Then: read the plot.
Last: check.