Step by step
The question
Question: make a stem-and-leaf plot of 26, 14, 32, 19, 28, 35, 21 and 17.
Find the range.
1 Split the numbers
The tens digit is the stem.
The ones digit is the leaf.
26: stem 2, leaf 6.
Careful!
Every plot needs a key.
2, line, 6 means 26, not 8.
2 Write the leaves
The stems go down the side: 1, 2 and 3.
26: leaf 6 goes after stem 2.
We cross out 26.
14: leaf 4 after stem 1.
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 1: 4, 7 and 9.
And the key: 2, line, 6 means 26.
4 Read the plot
The smallest is the first leaf on the top row: 14.
The biggest is the last leaf on the bottom row: 35.
The range is the biggest minus the smallest.
35 minus 14 is 21.
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.