2.1 Stem-and-Leaf Graphs (Stemplots), Line Graphs, and Bar Graphs

Cut every value into a stem and a leaf, read counts and far values off the finished plot, put two data sets on one stem column, join counted points across equal steps, and turn head counts into shares of a named whole.

Subject: Statistics · 65 slides · applied lesson

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What this lesson covers

The lesson, slide by slide

1. Stem-and-Leaf Graphs, Line Graphs and Bar Graphs

Title

Statistics · §2.1

Four pictures for data, each drawn from the numbers it shows

2. You will leave able to do these things with real data

Objectives

  1. Build a stem-and-leaf plot from data
  2. Read counts and far values off it
  3. Compare two data sets on shared stems
  4. Draw a line graph with equal steps
  5. Turn counts into percentages for bars

3. Eight rules from earlier courses carry every step

Concept

\[ 23 = 2 \times 10 + 3 \]

Place value

Why: tens and ones name a number

\[ 5,\ 1,\ 3 \to 1,\ 3,\ 5 \]

Sort

Why: smallest value written first

\[ u + v = v + u \]

Any order

Why: a total ignores the arrangement

\[ u \div v = w \iff w \times v = u \]

Divide back

Why: checks every share

\[ 0.25 = 25\% \]

Per cent

Why: % counts parts per hundred

\[ u - v \]

Subtract

Why: measures the gap between two values

\[ 1,\ 2,\ 3,\ 4 \text{ evenly spaced} \]

Equal steps

Why: matching gaps mean matching amounts

\[ 2 \div 3 \approx 0.67 \]

Round

Why: ≈ marks a rounded value

4. Thirty-one exam scores sit on the board, sorted

Prediction

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's 31 exam scores in cells, smallest first, from 33 to 100

Predict first

Professor Dean's 31 first-exam scores are written out, smallest to largest.

Which of these can you read off without counting?

  • The lowest score
  • How many scored in the 60s
  • What share scored 90 or more
  • Which ten holds the most scores

Correct: The lowest score

Why: A sorted list hands you its two ends for free: the first cell is the lowest score and the last is the highest. Every other question here makes you walk the whole list and hold a running tally in your head.

5. Counting the 60s means reading all 31 cells

Worked example

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's 31 exam scores in cells, smallest first, from 33 to 100

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{61},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{63},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{67},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{68},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{68},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{69},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{69} \]

Pick out the 60s scores

Why: a tally needs them separated first

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's 31 exam scores in cells, smallest first, from 33 to 100; 7 cells highlighted

\[ \text{how many} = 7 \]

Count the picked cells

Why: the sixth ten's height in a picture

\[ 31 - 7 = 24 \]

Subtract 7 from 31

Why: cells read for nothing

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{69},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{69},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{68},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{68},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{67},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{63},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{61} \]

Check: count the 60s backwards

Why: the same seven cells in reverse

Needed: one picture that counts and keeps scores.

6. Cut every value: the stemplot

Section

Idea 1 of 4

7. Professor Dean wants shape and scores at once

Concept

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's 31 exam scores in cells, smallest first, from 33 to 100

Goal: one picture holding counts and scores.

Discussion prompt

What would you lose by replacing each score with the ten it falls in?

Answer:

The score itself: 61 and 69 would both become '60s'.

8. A tally of tens hides which score is which

Worked example

Figure (svg): A bar for each ten of Example 2.1's scores, drawn to scale on a count axis from 0 to 8: 30s 1, 40s 3, 50s 3, 60s 7, 70s 4, 80s 5, 90s 7, 100s 1

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{33} \to \text{the 30s} \]

Bin 33 with the 30s

Why: each bin covers one ten

Figure (svg): A bar for each ten of Example 2.1's scores, drawn to scale on a count axis from 0 to 8: 30s 1, 40s 3, 50s 3, 60s 7, 70s 4, 80s 5, 90s 7, 100s 1

\[ 1,\ 3,\ 3,\ 7,\ 4,\ 5,\ 7,\ 1 \]

Tally the eight tens

Why: bar lengths come from counts

Figure (svg): A bar for each ten of Example 2.1's scores, drawn to scale on a count axis from 0 to 8: 30s 1, 40s 3, 50s 3, 60s 7, 70s 4, 80s 5, 90s 7, 100s 1

\[ 1 + 3 + 3 + 7 + 4 + 5 + 7 + 1 = 31 \]

Add the eight counts

Why: no score sits outside a bin

\[ \text{the 30s bar} = 1 \]

Read the 30s bar

Why: tests whether a score returns

Figure (svg): A bar for each ten of Example 2.1's scores, drawn to scale on a count axis from 0 to 8: 30s 1, 40s 3, 50s 3, 60s 7, 70s 4, 80s 5, 90s 7, 100s 1; the 30s bar thickened

\[ 30 \le \text{that score} \le 39 \]

Check: bound the hidden score

Why: ten values could draw it

9. The tens of 68 make its stem, the 8 its leaf

Worked example

Figure (svg): Three of Professor Dean's scores in cells: 68, 69 and 72

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{68} = 6 \times 10 + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8} \]

Split 68 into tens and ones

Why: place value offers two parts

Figure (svg): Values cut into a boxed stem and a boxed leaf, with a dashed line marking the cut

\[ \text{stem } 6, \quad \text{leaf } \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8} \]

Name the parts stem and leaf

Why: filing a score needs its tens

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{72} = 7 \times 10 + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2} \]

Cut 72 the same way

Why: its tens digit opens a row

Figure (svg): A stemplot with rows 6, 7 and 8 and no leaves yet

\[ 6 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8}\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9}, \quad 7 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2} \]

File each leaf beside its stem

Why: one row per ten of scores

Figure (svg): The stemplot with 8 and 9 on row 6 and 2 on row 7

\[ 6 \times 10 + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{69} \]

Check: rebuild 69 from its row

Why: the leaf digit survived the filing

10. The leaf is the final digit, the stem the rest

Worked example

Figure (svg): Values cut into a boxed stem and a boxed leaf, with a dashed line marking the cut

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{432} = 43 \times 10 + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2} \]

Write 432 as tens and ones

Why: the cut ignores a number's size

Figure (svg): Values cut into a boxed stem and a boxed leaf, with a dashed line marking the cut

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5432} = 543 \times 10 + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2} \]

Write 5432 as tens and ones

Why: a stem takes any digits left

Figure (svg): Values cut into a boxed stem and a boxed leaf, with a dashed line marking the cut

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9.3}: \text{final digit} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3} \]

Cut 9.3 after the point

Why: decimals earn leaves too

Figure (svg): Values cut into a boxed stem and a boxed leaf, with a dashed line marking the cut

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{\text{leaf}} = \text{final digit}, \ \ \text{stem} = \text{the rest} \]

State the rule for any value

Why: one leaf digit fixes row width

\[ 543 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2} \to \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5432} \]

Check: read 5432 back out

Why: no digit was thrown away

11. Rebuilding a leaf gives back the score 68

Worked example

Figure (svg): The stemplot with 8 and 9 on row 6, 2 on row 7, and row 8 blank

\[ 6 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8}\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9} \to 2 \text{ leaves} \]

Count row 6's leaves

Why: row length is that ten's height

\[ 8 \mid \quad \to 0 \text{ scores} \]

Read the blank row 8

Why: an empty ten still owns a row

Figure (svg): The stemplot with rows 6 and 7 filled and the blank row 8 shaded

\[ 6 \times 10 = 60 \]

Multiply row 6's stem by ten

Why: the stem stands for whole tens

\[ 60 + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{68} \]

Add the first leaf

Why: the leaf restores the ones digit

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{68} - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8} = 60 \]

Check: take the leaf back off

Why: the stem's sixty is what remains

12. The first four stems hold 14 scores

Worked example

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 10 with leaves filled for 0 rows

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{33} \to 3 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3} \]

File the lowest score

Why: row 3 opens the plot

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 10 with leaves filled for 1 rows

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{42},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{49},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{49} \to 4 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9}\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9} \]

File the three 40s scores

Why: list order is kept

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 10 with leaves filled for 2 rows

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{53},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{55},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{55} \to 5 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5} \]

File the three 50s scores

Why: a tie still earns two leaves

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 10 with leaves filled for 3 rows

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{61} \ldots \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{69} \to 6 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9} \]

File the seven 60s scores

Why: every score in the sixties belongs here

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 10 with leaves filled for 4 rows

\[ 1 + 3 + 3 + 7 = 14 \]

Check: add the four rows

Why: 14 scores end at 69

13. The last four stems complete all 31 scores

Worked example

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 10 with leaves filled for 4 rows

\( {3 \mid 3},\ \allowbreak \allowbreak {4 \mid 2\,9\,9},\ \allowbreak \allowbreak {5 \mid 3\,5\,5},\ \allowbreak \allowbreak {6 \mid 1\,3\,7\,8\,8\,9\,9} \)

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{72},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{73},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{74},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{78} \to 7 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8} \]

File the four 70s scores

Why: one row holds one ten

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 10 with leaves filled for 5 rows

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{80} \ldots \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{88} \to 8 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8} \]

File the five 80s scores

Why: repeats keep their own leaves

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 10 with leaves filled for 6 rows

\[ 9 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6}; \ \ 10 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0} \]

File the 90s and 100

Why: nothing left over

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 10 with leaves

\[ 1 + 3 + 3 + 7 + 4 + 5 + 7 + 1 = 31 \]

Check: add every row

Why: 31 students, none lost

14. Eight of the 31 scores reach 90 or more

Worked example

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 10 with leaves

\[ 9 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6} \to 7 \]

Count row 9's leaves

Why: the high grades begin here

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot with row 9 shaded

\[ 10 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0} \to 1 \]

Count row 10's leaf

Why: 100 joins the high grades

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot with rows 9 and 10 shaded

\[ 7 + 1 = 8 \]

Add the two row lengths

Why: how many earned 90 or above

\[ 8 \div 31 \approx 0.258 \]

Divide 8 by 31

Why: a share needs the whole class

\[ 0.258 \to \textcolor{#b54708}{25.8\%} \]

Read 0.258 as a per cent

Why: % rescales it to a hundred

\[ 0.258 \times 31 \approx 8 \]

Check: undo the division

Why: the share returns eight students

15. Season order hides each row's smallest

Trap

The trap

Figure (svg): A stemplot of the Hawks' losses in their first ten seasons (Table 2.6, seasons 1 to 10) with the leaves in season order: row 3 reads 4 4 6, row 4 reads 6 6 7 1, row 5 reads 1 3 1

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{34},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{34},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{36} \to 3 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6} \]

Copy the 30s losses unsorted

Why: season order reaches the plot

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{46},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{46},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{47},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{41} \to 4 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1} \]

Copy the 40s losses unsorted

Why: fails: 41 ends up last

The fix

Figure (svg): The same stemplot with every row sorted: row 3 reads 4 4 6, row 4 reads 1 6 6 7, row 5 reads 1 1 3

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{46},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{46},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{47},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{41} \to 4 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7} \]

Sort the 40s losses first

Why: a row must read low to high

\[ 4 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1} \to \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{41} \]

Check: read the row's first leaf

Why: 41 sits under every other leaf

16. Two pictures come from the same 31 exam scores

Prediction

Figure (svg): A bar for each ten of Example 2.1's scores, drawn to scale on a count axis from 0 to 8: 30s 1, 40s 3, 50s 3, 60s 7, 70s 4, 80s 5, 90s 7, 100s 1

Predict first

One picture bins the scores by tens; the other files them by stem and leaf.

Which question can only the stemplot answer?

  • What was the lowest score?
  • How many students sat the exam?
  • Which ten holds the most scores?
  • How many scored in the 60s?

Correct: What was the lowest score?

Why: A bar reports a count, so any question about counts can be read off either picture. Only the stemplot still carries the digits, so only it can say the lowest score was 33 rather than 'somewhere from 30 to 39'.

17. Only the stemplot names the lowest, 33

Worked example

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 10 with leaves

\[ \text{the 30s bar} = 1 \]

Read the first bar

Why: a bar gives only a height

\[ 30 \le \text{that score} \le 39 \]

Bound the score from its bin

Why: ten values fit there

\[ 3 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3} \]

Read the stemplot's first row

Why: the digits survive

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot with the single leaf on row 3 boxed

\[ 3 \times 10 = 30 \]

Multiply the stem by ten

Why: a row covers ten marks

\[ 30 + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{33} \]

Add the leaf

Why: the leaf supplies the ones digit

\[ \text{the list's first cell} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{33} \]

Check: the list's first cell

Why: the lowest leaf agrees

18. Try It 2.1's basketball plot is left to you

Faded example

Figure (svg): Try It 2.1's 30 basketball scores in cells, smallest first, from 32 to 61

Try It 2.1: 30 Park City game scores, sorted.

Fill in the blanks

the 40s row holds 12 scores; the four rows hold 30

Why: The scores in the 40s are 40, 42, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 47, 48, 48, 48 and 49: twelve leaves on row 4. The four rows hold 5, 12, 11 and 2 scores, and 5 + 12 + 11 + 2 = 30, one per game.

19. Twelve of the 30 games scored in the 40s

Worked example

Figure (svg): Try It 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 6 holding the 30 basketball scores

\[ 3 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8} \to 5 \]

File the five 30s scores

Why: the lowest ten opens it

Figure (svg): Try It 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 6 holding the 30 basketball scores

\[ 4 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9} \to 12 \]

File the twelve 40s scores

Why: each ten owns one row

Figure (svg): Try It 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 6 holding the 30 basketball scores

\[ 5 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7} \to 11 \]

File the eleven 50s scores

Why: the busiest row yet

Figure (svg): Try It 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 6 holding the 30 basketball scores

\[ 6 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1} \to 2 \]

File the two 60s scores

Why: no score reaches the 70s

Figure (svg): Try It 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 6 holding the 30 basketball scores

\[ 5 + 12 + 11 + 2 = 30 \]

Check: add the four rows

Why: the team played 30 games

20. Read it: far values, and two sets at once

Section

Idea 2 of 4

21. Twenty-one distances, and one shopper's worry

Concept

Figure (svg): Example 2.2's 21 supermarket distances in cells, smallest first, from 1.1 to 12.3 km

Example 2.2: distances from one home, in km.

Discussion prompt

Is any of these 21 supermarkets far enough away to stand apart from the rest?

Answer:

The list buries it; a picture that keeps the gaps will not.

22. Two wide bins bury the far shop in a count of five

Worked example

Figure (svg): Two bars on a count axis from 0 to 20: distances under 5 km, 16 of them, and 5 km or more, 5 of them

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1.1} \ldots \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4.8} \to 16 \]

Count distances under 5 km

Why: a bar needs counts, not values

Figure (svg): Two bars on a count axis from 0 to 20: distances under 5 km, 16 of them, and 5 km or more, 5 of them

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5.5},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5.6},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6.5},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6.7},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{12.3} \to 5 \]

Count distances from 5 km up

Why: five shops share a single bar

Figure (svg): Two bars on a count axis from 0 to 20: distances under 5 km, 16 of them, and 5 km or more, 5 of them

\[ 16 + 5 = 21 \]

Add the two counts

Why: no supermarket escapes the bins

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{12.3} - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6.7} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5.6} \]

Subtract the two largest

Why: sizes the jump to the far shop

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5.6} > 5 \]

Check the jump against a bin

Why: the leap outruns a whole bar

23. A distance's leaf is the digit after the point

Worked example

Figure (svg): Example 2.2's 21 supermarket distances in cells, smallest first, from 1.1 to 12.3 km

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1.1}: \text{final digit} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1} \]

Take 1.1's final digit

Why: the leaf rule covers any value

Figure (svg): Distances cut into a boxed whole-kilometre stem and a boxed tenths leaf

\[ \text{the rest} = 1 \]

Keep the 1 as the stem

Why: whole kilometres group the shops

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3.3} \to 3 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3} \]

Cut 3.3 the same way

Why: the point moves, the rule holds

Figure (svg): Distances cut into a boxed whole-kilometre stem and a boxed tenths leaf

\[ 1 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1}\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}, \quad 2 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7} \]

File the first five shops

Why: rows run by whole kilometres

Figure (svg): Example 2.2's stemplot: whole kilometres 1 to 12 as stems, with 7 to 11 left blank

\[ 1 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5} \to \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1.5} \]

Check: read row 1's second leaf

Why: the tenths digit came back

24. Blank stems 7 to 11 leave a five-row gap

Worked example

Figure (svg): Example 2.2's stemplot: whole kilometres 1 to 12 as stems, with 7 to 11 left blank

\[ 3 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8}; \ \ 4 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8} \]

File kilometres 3 and 4

Why: kilometres pick the rows

Figure (svg): Example 2.2's stemplot: whole kilometres 1 to 12 as stems, with 7 to 11 left blank

\[ 5 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6}; \ \ 6 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7} \]

File the last four near shops

Why: no shop under 7 km is left

Figure (svg): Example 2.2's stemplot: whole kilometres 1 to 12 as stems, with 7 to 11 left blank

\[ 7,\ 8,\ 9,\ 10,\ 11 \mid \quad \]

Write the five empty stems

Why: a stem exists without data

Figure (svg): Example 2.2's stemplot with the five blank stems 7 to 11 shaded

\[ 12 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3} \to 1 \]

File 12.3 above them

Why: its distance from the rest shows

Figure (svg): Example 2.2's stemplot: whole kilometres 1 to 12 as stems, with 7 to 11 left blank

\[ 2 + 3 + 5 + 6 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 21 \]

Check: add every row length

Why: all 21 supermarkets are here

25. Eleven of 21 shops sit in kilometres 3 and 4

Worked example

Figure (svg): Example 2.2's stemplot: whole kilometres 1 to 12 as stems, with 7 to 11 left blank

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5} + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{11} \]

Add rows 3 and 4

Why: the two fullest rows together

Figure (svg): Example 2.2's stemplot with rows 3 and 4 shaded

\[ 21 - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{11} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{10} \]

Subtract that from 21

Why: how many shops lie elsewhere

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{11} > \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{10} \]

Compare the two groups

Why: most shops sit in two kilometres

\[ 7,\ 8,\ 9,\ 10,\ 11 \to 5 \text{ blank rows} \]

Count the blank rows

Why: the plot measures 12.3's isolation

Figure (svg): Example 2.2's stemplot with the five blank rows shaded

A value set apart: an extreme value (outlier).

\[ 5 \times 1 = 5 \text{ km} \]

Check: one km per blank row

Why: five km of road held no shop

26. Dropping blank stems seats 12.3 beside 6.7

Trap

The trap

Figure (svg): The 21 shops plotted against their row number in the shortened plot, 0 to 8: the last shop lands at 7.3, next to the cluster

\[ 1,\ 2,\ 3,\ 4,\ 5,\ 6,\ 12 \]

List only the stems with leaves

Why: blank rows look like wasted paper

\[ 6 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7}; \ \ 12 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3} \]

Write row 12 after row 6

Why: fails: the leap is squeezed out

The fix

Figure (svg): The same 21 shops plotted against distance in km, 0 to 13, with the stretch from 7 to 12 shaded and marked no shop

\[ 7,\ 8,\ 9,\ 10,\ 11 \text{ kept blank} \]

Keep every stem in between

Why: the rows must work as a ruler

\[ \text{rows } 7 \text{ to } 11 \to 5 \]

Check: count the skipped rows

Why: five kilometres of ruler were deleted

27. Thirty college journeys end at 8.0 miles

Prediction

Figure (svg): Try It 2.2's 30 distances in cells, smallest first, from 0.5 to 8.0 miles

Predict first

Try It 2.2: 30 distances in miles, the largest of them 8.0.

Which reading would show that 8.0 stands apart?

  • Two blank stems sit between 5.8 and 8.0
  • 8.0 is the largest value in the list
  • 8.0 is a whole number and the rest are not
  • The plot has nine rows in all

Correct: Two blank stems sit between 5.8 and 8.0

Why: Every data set has a largest value, so being largest proves nothing. Blank rows 6 and 7 say that no student lives 6 to 8 miles out, so 8.0 breaks off from the rest instead of continuing them.

28. Rows 6 and 7 stay blank beneath 8.0

Worked example

Figure (svg): Try It 2.2's stemplot: whole miles 0 to 8 as stems, with 6 and 7 left blank

\[ 0 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7} \to 2 \]

File the shortest two

Why: row 0 is under a mile

Figure (svg): Try It 2.2's stemplot: whole miles 0 to 8 as stems, with 6 and 7 left blank

\[ 1 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9} \to 11 \]

File row 1's walks

Why: one row per whole mile

Figure (svg): Try It 2.2's stemplot: whole miles 0 to 8 as stems, with 6 and 7 left blank

\[ 2,\ 3,\ 4,\ 5 \to 7,\ 2,\ 3,\ 4 \]

Count the next four rows

Why: shape lives in the lengths

Figure (svg): Try It 2.2's stemplot: whole miles 0 to 8 as stems, with 6 and 7 left blank

\[ 6,\ 7 \mid \quad \text{then } 8 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0} \]

File 8.0 above the blanks

Why: they are the evidence

Figure (svg): Try It 2.2's stemplot with the blank rows 6 and 7 shaded

\[ 2 + 11 + 7 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 = 30 \]

Check: add every row

Why: all 30 students are here

29. Ten Hawks seasons carry two numbers each

Concept

Figure (svg): An empty stem column, stems 1 to 6, ready for two sets of leaves

\[ \begin{array}{ll} \text{wins} & 25,\ 33,\ 35,\ 28,\ 13, \\ & 26,\ 30,\ 37,\ 47,\ 53 \\ \text{losses} & 57,\ 49,\ 47,\ 54,\ 69, \\ & 56,\ 52,\ 45,\ 35,\ 29 \end{array} \]

Discussion prompt

How could one stem column carry both sets without mixing them up?

Answer:

Send one set's leaves left of the stems and the other's right.

30. Wins go left of the stem and losses go right

Worked example

Figure (svg): An empty stem column, stems 1 to 6, ready for two sets of leaves

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{53} \to 5 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3} \]

Cut the last season's wins

Why: the leaf rule ignores layout

Figure (svg): A side-by-side stemplot: the Hawks' wins as leaves left of the stem, losses right, seasons 33 to 42

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{29} \to 2 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9} \]

Cut the same season's losses

Why: one season marks both sides

Figure (svg): A side-by-side stemplot: the Hawks' wins as leaves left of the stem, losses right, seasons 33 to 42

\[ 5 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3} \ \text{left}, \ \ 2 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9} \ \text{right} \]

Send wins left and losses right

Why: the sides keep two records apart

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{13},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{69} \to 1 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}, \ \ 6 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9} \]

File the worst season's pair

Why: both extremes, one year

Figure (svg): A side-by-side stemplot: the Hawks' wins as leaves left of the stem, losses right, seasons 33 to 42

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{13} - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3} = 10 \]

Check: take the leaf off 13

Why: a stem is worth ten games

31. All ten seasons fit on a single stem column

Worked example

Figure (svg): A side-by-side stemplot: the Hawks' wins as leaves left of the stem, losses right, seasons 33 to 42

\( {5 \mid 3},\ \allowbreak \allowbreak {2 \mid 9},\ \allowbreak \allowbreak {1 \mid 3},\ \allowbreak \allowbreak {6 \mid 9} \)

\[ 2 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8} \]

File the three 20s wins

Why: the stem digit picks the row

Figure (svg): A side-by-side stemplot: the Hawks' wins as leaves left of the stem, losses right, seasons 33 to 42

\[ 3 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7}; \ 4 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7} \]

File the remaining wins

Why: every season owes a win leaf

Figure (svg): A side-by-side stemplot: the Hawks' wins as leaves left of the stem, losses right, seasons 33 to 42

\[ 3 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}; \ 4 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9}; \ 5 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{6}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7} \]

File every remaining loss

Why: every season owes a loss leaf

Figure (svg): A side-by-side stemplot: the Hawks' wins as leaves left of the stem, losses right, seasons 33 to 42

\[ \begin{aligned} \text{wins} \ \ & 1 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 1 = 10 \\ \text{losses} \ & 1 + 1 + 3 + 4 + 1 = 10 \end{aligned} \]

Check: count each side

Why: ten seasons each way

32. A fixed 82 games a season mirrors the two sides

Worked example

Figure (svg): A side-by-side stemplot: the Hawks' wins as leaves left of the stem, losses right, seasons 33 to 42

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{13} + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{69} = 82 \]

Add the worst season's pair

Why: every game ends win or loss

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{53} + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{29} = 82 \]

Add the best season's pair

Why: tests whether 82 was a coincidence

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{35} + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{47} = 82 \]

Add a third season's pair

Why: a fixed schedule would explain it

\[ 82 - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{25} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{57} \]

Take season 33's wins off 82

Why: predicts its losses in advance

Figure (svg): The side-by-side plot with row 5 shaded

\[ 5 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7} \text{ on the right} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{57} \]

Check: hunt 57 on the right

Why: the plot holds the prediction

33. The fullest row on the wins side is left to you

Faded example

Figure (svg): A side-by-side stemplot: the Hawks' wins as leaves left of the stem, losses right, seasons 33 to 42

Try It 2.3: the ten seasons, side by side.

Fill in the blanks

the fullest wins row is stem 3; it carries 4 leaves

Why: The wins side reads 1 | 3, then 5 6 8 on row 2, then 0 3 5 7 on row 3, then a single 7 on row 4 and a single 3 on row 5. Row 3 is the only one with four leaves, so the team most often won 30-something games.

34. Row 3 carries four win totals: 30, 33, 35 and 37

Worked example

Figure (svg): A side-by-side stemplot: the Hawks' wins as leaves left of the stem, losses right, seasons 33 to 42

\[ 1,\ 3,\ 4,\ 1,\ 1 \]

Count the wins leaves per row

Why: counts make rows comparable

Figure (svg): The side-by-side plot with each row's leaf counts printed at both edges

\[ 4 > 3 > 1 \]

Rank those row lengths

Why: the fullest row marks the commonest ten

\[ 3 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7} \]

Read row 3's four leaves

Why: the plot kept each season's total

Figure (svg): The side-by-side plot with counts printed and row 3 shaded

\[ \to \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{30},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{33},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{35},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{37} \]

Rebuild the four totals

Why: stem and leaf give whole numbers

\[ 1 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 1 = 10 \]

Check: add the wins rows

Why: ten seasons, counted once

35. Join the points: line graphs

Section

Idea 3 of 4

36. Forty parents said how often they must remind

Concept

Figure (svg): An empty numbered grid for a line graph: times reminded 0 to 5 across, parents 0 to 15 up

\[ \begin{array}{c|cccccc} \text{times reminded} & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 \\ \hline \text{parents} & 2 & 5 & 8 & 14 & 7 & 4 \end{array} \]

Discussion prompt

Does the number of parents climb all the way, or turn somewhere along the row?

Answer:

The table hides the turn; six plotted points will not.

37. A stemplot of these answers gives one row

Worked example

Figure (svg): An empty stemplot with one stem, 0, ready for leaves

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4},\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5} \]

List the answers given

Why: every answer is one digit

\[ \text{stem} = 0, \quad \text{leaf} = \text{the digit} \]

Apply the leaf rule to 3

Why: no tens to file under

\[ 0 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1} \ldots \to 40 \]

File all forty answers

Why: one row for the survey

Figure (svg): A stemplot with a single row, stem 0, carrying forty leaves and running off the edge

\[ \text{one row} \to \text{no ups or downs} \]

Look for a turn there

Why: fails: no shape at all

\[ 2 + 5 + 8 + 14 + 7 + 4 = 40 \]

Check: add the six counts

Why: the row holds 40

38. Six points place each answer by value and count

Worked example

Figure (svg): An empty numbered grid: times reminded 0 to 5 across, parents 0 to 15 up

\[ (\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0},\ 2) \]

Plot the first pair

Why: across by answer, up by count

Figure (svg): A line graph of Example 2.4: parents against times a teenager is reminded, 0 to 5 across and 0 to 15 up

\[ (\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1},\ 5),\ (\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2},\ 8) \]

Plot the next two pairs

Why: one step per extra reminder

Figure (svg): A line graph of Example 2.4: parents against times a teenager is reminded, 0 to 5 across and 0 to 15 up

\[ (\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3},\ 14),\ (\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4},\ 7),\ (\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{5},\ 4) \]

Plot the last three pairs

Why: no answer may be left off

Figure (svg): A line graph of Example 2.4: parents against times a teenager is reminded, 0 to 5 across and 0 to 15 up

\[ (\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0},2) - (\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1},5) - \ldots \]

Join neighbouring points

Why: a segment shows one change

Figure (svg): A line graph of Example 2.4: parents against times a teenager is reminded, 0 to 5 across and 0 to 15 up

\[ \text{tallest point} = 14 \text{ at } \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3} \]

Check: read the tallest point

Why: 14 is the table's biggest

39. Steepness is the change over the steps

Worked example

Figure (svg): A line graph of Example 2.4: parents against times a teenager is reminded, 0 to 5 across and 0 to 15 up

\[ 14 - 8 = 6 \]

Subtract 8 from 14

Why: measures one segment's climb

Figure (svg): The chores line graph with the segment from 2 to 3 labelled plus 6

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3} - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2} = 1 \]

Subtract 2 from 3

Why: measures how far across it ran

\[ 6 \div 1 = 6 \]

Divide the climb by the run

Why: parents gained per extra reminder

\[ \text{steepness} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{\text{change}} \div \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{\text{steps}} \]

State the rule for any segment

Why: one number compares runs of unequal length

\[ 6 \times 1 = 6 \]

Check: undo the division

Why: one step returns the whole climb

40. The line falls from 3 faster than it climbed

Worked example

Figure (svg): A line graph of Example 2.4: parents against times a teenager is reminded, 0 to 5 across and 0 to 15 up

\[ 7 - 14 = -7 \]

Subtract 14 from 7

Why: measures the line's first drop

Figure (svg): The chores line graph with the 2-to-3 segment labelled plus 6 and the 3-to-4 segment labelled minus 7

\[ -7 \div 1 = -7 \]

Divide the drop by one step

Why: puts it on the steepness scale

\[ 7 > 6 \]

Compare the drop with the climb

Why: interest falls quicker than it built

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}: 14 \text{ of the } 40 \]

Read the turn's height

Why: the commonest answer in the survey

Figure (svg): The chores line graph with the peak at 3 labelled 14 parents

\[ 14 > 8, \quad 14 > 7 \]

Check the turn against both neighbours

Why: neither side of 3 reaches 14

41. The Hawks' line drops to 13 and climbs to 53

Worked example

Figure (svg): An empty numbered grid: seasons 33 to 42 across, wins 0 to 60 up

\[ (33, \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{25}) \ldots (37, \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{13}) \]

Plot seasons 33 to 37

Why: one point per season, in order

Figure (svg): A line graph of the Hawks' wins against season number, seasons 33 to 42, 0 to 60 wins up the side

\[ (38, \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{26}) \ldots (42, \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{53}) \]

Plot seasons 38 to 42

Why: the axis must hold every season

Figure (svg): A line graph of the Hawks' wins against season number, seasons 33 to 42, 0 to 60 wins up the side

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{13} - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{28} = -15 \]

Subtract season 36 from 37

Why: sizes the collapse

Figure (svg): The Hawks wins line graph with the season 36 to 37 segment labelled minus 15

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{26} - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{13} = 13 \]

Subtract season 37 from 38

Why: sizes the bounce back

Figure (svg): The wins line graph with the 36-to-37 segment labelled minus 15 and the 37-to-38 segment labelled plus 13

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{13} + 13 = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{26} \]

Check: add the bounce onto 13

Why: season 38's total returns

42. Equal ticks exaggerate the last rise

Trap

The trap

Figure (svg): A line graph of four sampled seasons with the ticks equally spaced: 48 wins, then 41, 41 and 53

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{48} - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{41} = 7, \quad \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{53} - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{41} = 12 \]

Read both segments

Why: the two changes the eye compares

\[ 12 > 7 \]

Call the rise faster

Why: fails: spans differ

The fix

Figure (svg): The same four seasons with the axis spaced by season number, so the last segment stretches over twenty seasons

\[ 10 - 1 = 9, \quad 42 - 22 = 20 \]

Count each span

Why: the axis measures time

\[ 7 \div 9 \approx 0.78 > 0.6 = 12 \div 20 \]

Check per season

Why: the fall was faster

43. Forty car owners reported 0, 1, 2 or 3 repairs

Prediction

Figure (svg): An empty numbered grid: repairs 0 to 3 across, people 0 to 15 up

Predict first

Try It 2.4: 40 people said how many times a year their car went in — 0 for seven of them, 1 for ten, 2 for fourteen, 3 for nine.

What must be true of the four plotted heights?

  • They add to 40
  • They climb all the way across
  • The last one is the tallest
  • They add to 4

Correct: They add to 40

Why: Each person gave exactly one answer, so the four counts are the whole group shared out and nothing else. The heights need not climb or peak at the end; here the count turns downward after 2 repairs.

44. The four repair counts share out all 40 people

Worked example

Figure (svg): An empty numbered grid: repairs 0 to 3 across, people 0 to 15 up

\[ (\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0},\ 7),\ (\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1},\ 10) \]

Plot the first two answers

Why: across by repairs, up by people

Figure (svg): A line graph of Try It 2.4: people against times a car went in for repairs, 0 to 3 across and 0 to 15 up

\[ (\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2},\ 14),\ (\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3},\ 9) \]

Plot the last two answers

Why: the count turns downward after 2

Figure (svg): A line graph of Try It 2.4: people against times a car went in for repairs, 0 to 3 across and 0 to 15 up

\[ 7 + 10 = 17 \]

Add the first two heights

Why: a running total of people asked

\[ 17 + 14 + 9 = 40 \]

Add the last two heights

Why: everybody answered exactly once

\[ 40 - 7 - 10 - 14 - 9 = 0 \]

Check: take each height off 40

Why: nothing left over, nothing short

45. The repairs graph's three changes are left to you

Faded example

Figure (svg): A line graph of Try It 2.4: people against times a car went in for repairs, 0 to 3 across and 0 to 15 up

Try It 2.4: the finished line graph.

Fill in the blanks

changes across the three steps: 3, 4, −5; steepest, in size = 5 per step

Why: Reading the heights in order, 10 − 7 = 3, then 14 − 10 = 4, then 9 − 14 = −5. Every step is one repair wide, so each change is already its steepness, and the −5 drop is the biggest in size, so it is the steepest.

46. The repairs line climbs 3, then 4, then drops 5

Worked example

Figure (svg): A line graph of Try It 2.4: people against times a car went in for repairs, 0 to 3 across and 0 to 15 up

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{10} - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7} = 3 \]

Subtract the first two heights

Why: the line's opening climb

Figure (svg): The repairs line graph with the first segment labelled plus 3

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{14} - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{10} = 4 \]

Subtract the next two heights

Why: a second climb to compare

Figure (svg): The repairs line graph with the first two segments labelled plus 3 and plus 4

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9} - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{14} = -5 \]

Subtract the last two heights

Why: the only fall on this line

Figure (svg): The repairs line graph with all three segments labelled plus 3, plus 4 and minus 5

\[ 5 \div 1 = 5 \]

Divide the fall by one step

Why: people lost per extra repair

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7} + 3 + 4 - 5 = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{9} \]

Check: walk the changes from 7

Why: arriving at the last height, 9

47. Cut one whole: bar graphs and shares

Section

Idea 4 of 4

48. Four regions expect very different graduate counts

Concept

Figure (svg): Four bars drawn to scale for the 2030 graduates: Northeast 517,720, Midwest 695,170, South 1,253,540, West 749,400

Example 2.6: graduates projected for 2030.

Discussion prompt

Does the South on its own expect more than half the country's graduates?

Answer:

Doubling the South's count settles it; the whole has to be built first.

49. Subtracting two counts gives a gap, not a share

Worked example

Figure (svg): Four bars drawn to scale for the 2030 graduates: Northeast 517,720, Midwest 695,170, South 1,253,540, West 749,400

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1{,}253{,}540} - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{517{,}720} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{735{,}820} \]

Subtract the Northeast from the South

Why: sizes the distance between two bars

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{735{,}820} > \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{517{,}720} \]

Compare that gap with the Northeast

Why: the gap alone outruns a whole region

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{735{,}820} \text{ out of what?} \]

Ask what the gap is part of

Why: fails: no whole has been counted

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{517{,}720} + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{735{,}820} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1{,}253{,}540} \]

Check: add the gap back on

Why: the South's own count returns

50. Stacking four counts builds a whole of 3,215,830

Worked example

Figure (svg): The four regions' graduate counts stacked into one column against an axis marked in millions

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{517{,}720} + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{695{,}170} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1{,}212{,}890} \]

Add the first two counts

Why: stacking regions builds the whole

Figure (svg): The four regions' graduate counts stacked into one column against an axis marked in millions

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1{,}212{,}890} + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1{,}253{,}540} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2{,}466{,}430} \]

Add the South's count

Why: no region may be left out

Figure (svg): The four regions' graduate counts stacked into one column against an axis marked in millions

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2{,}466{,}430} + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{749{,}400} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3{,}215{,}830} \]

Add the West's count

Why: every graduate counted once

Figure (svg): The four regions' graduate counts stacked into one column against an axis marked in millions

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3{,}215{,}830} - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{749{,}400} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2{,}466{,}430} \]

Check: take the West back off

Why: the three-region total returns

51. A share is the part over its whole

Worked example

Figure (svg): The four regions' graduate counts stacked into one column against an axis marked in millions, with the full column marked 3,215,830 in all

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{517{,}720} \div \textcolor{#6b7280}{3{,}215{,}830} \approx 0.161 \]

Divide Northeast by the whole

Why: what part it fills

\[ 0.161 \times 100 = \textcolor{#b54708}{16.1} \]

Multiply that fraction by 100

Why: now per hundred

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{16.1\%} \text{ of the column} \]

Mark it on a per-cent column

Why: height means share

Figure (svg): The four regions as shares of one column against a per-cent axis from 0 to 100

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{\text{share}} = \frac{\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{\text{part}}}{\textcolor{#6b7280}{\text{whole}}} \times 100 \]

State the rule for any part

Why: works on any data

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{16.1} < 25 \]

Check the segment against 25

Why: it fills under a quarter

52. The four shares fill the column once

Worked example

Figure (svg): The four regions as shares of one column against a per-cent axis from 0 to 100

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{695{,}170} \div \textcolor{#6b7280}{3{,}215{,}830} \approx 0.216 \]

Divide Midwest by the whole

Why: the base must not change

\[ \begin{aligned} \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{1{,}253{,}540} &\div \textcolor{#6b7280}{3{,}215{,}830} \approx 0.390 \\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{749{,}400} &\div \textcolor{#6b7280}{3{,}215{,}830} \approx 0.233 \end{aligned} \]

Divide the last two counts

Why: every region needs a share

\[ 0.216,\ 0.390,\ 0.233 \to \textcolor{#b54708}{21.6},\ \textcolor{#b54708}{39.0},\ \textcolor{#b54708}{23.3} \]

Rescale all three

Why: shares now compare

Figure (svg): The four regions as shares of one column against a per-cent axis from 0 to 100

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{16.1} + \textcolor{#b54708}{21.6} + \textcolor{#b54708}{39.0} + \textcolor{#b54708}{23.3} = \textcolor{#b54708}{100.0} \]

Check: add the shares

Why: one whole, no more

53. The South's bar reaches 39.0%, under the half line

Worked example

Figure (svg): Four bars for the regions' shares on a per-cent axis from 0 to 50, with a grey line at 50: Northeast 16.1, Midwest 21.6, South 39.0, West 23.3

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{39.0} > \textcolor{#b54708}{23.3} > \textcolor{#b54708}{21.6} > \textcolor{#b54708}{16.1} \]

Rank the four shares

Why: bar lengths order the regions

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{39.0} < 50 \]

Compare the tallest bar with 50

Why: no region holds a majority

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{39.0} + \textcolor{#b54708}{23.3} = \textcolor{#b54708}{62.3} \]

Add the two tallest shares

Why: tests whether two regions can

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{62.3} > 50 \]

Compare their total with 50

Why: South and West pass half

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{100.0} - \textcolor{#b54708}{62.3} = \textcolor{#b54708}{37.7} \]

Check: take the pair off 100

Why: 16.1 and 21.6 add to 37.7

54. These two per cents have different wholes

Trap

The trap

Figure (svg): Districts 1 and 3 on one per-cent axis, each twice: district 1 is 15.5% of the registered voters and 19.4% of all residents; district 3 is 9.8% of the voters and 9.0% of the residents

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{19.4} - \textcolor{#b54708}{15.5} = \textcolor{#b54708}{3.9} \]

Subtract 15.5 from 19.4

Why: both look like per cents

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{9.0} - \textcolor{#b54708}{9.8} = \textcolor{#b54708}{-0.8} \]

Try district 3 too

Why: fails: now negative

The fix

Figure (svg): The same four districts on the same scale, now as shares of all residents: 19.4, 15.6, 9.0 and 18.5

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{19.4} + \textcolor{#b54708}{15.6} + \textcolor{#b54708}{9.0} + \textcolor{#b54708}{18.5} = \textcolor{#b54708}{62.5} \]

Add the residents column

Why: its own whole

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{62.5} \ne 100 \]

Check against 100

Why: two are missing

55. Four of six voting districts are listed

Prediction

Figure (svg): Four bars for districts 1 to 4's share of registered voters on a per-cent axis from 0 to 20: 15.5, 12.2, 9.8 and 17.4

Predict first

Try It 2.6: districts 1 to 4 hold 15.5%, 12.2%, 9.8% and 17.4% of the city's registered voters. Districts 5 and 6 are not shown.

What can be said about the two missing districts?

  • Together they hold 45.1% of registered voters
  • Each of them holds more than 17.4%
  • Together they hold 54.9%
  • Nothing at all, without their head counts

Correct: Together they hold 45.1% of registered voters

Why: Shares of one whole add to 100%, so the districts not listed hold whatever the four listed ones do not. How that remainder splits between the two is still unknown, and no head counts are needed to get the pair's total.

56. The unlisted pair hold 45.1% of the voters

Worked example

Figure (svg): Four bars for districts 1 to 4's share of registered voters on a per-cent axis from 0 to 20: 15.5, 12.2, 9.8 and 17.4

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{15.5} + \textcolor{#b54708}{12.2} + \textcolor{#b54708}{9.8} + \textcolor{#b54708}{17.4} = \textcolor{#b54708}{54.9} \]

Add the four listed shares

Why: how much of the whole is shown

Figure (svg): The registered-voter bars with a grey line at 54.9%, the four listed districts' total

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{100} - \textcolor{#b54708}{54.9} = \textcolor{#b54708}{45.1} \]

Take that total off 100

Why: what the unlisted pair holds

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{45.1} > \textcolor{#b54708}{17.4} \]

Compare with the largest listed

Why: the pair beats any district

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{17.4} + \textcolor{#b54708}{15.5} + \textcolor{#b54708}{12.2} + \textcolor{#b54708}{9.8} = \textcolor{#b54708}{54.9} \]

Check: add the shares largest first

Why: a total ignores the order

57. Park City's age groups come as head counts

Faded example

Figure (svg): Three bars drawn to scale for Park City's age groups: children 67,059, working-age adults 152,198, retirees 131,662

Try It 2.5: the town, counted by age group.

Fill in the blanks

the town holds 350919 people; children = 19.1%; retirees = 37.5%

Why: 67,059 + 152,198 + 131,662 = 350,919. Then 67,059 ÷ 350,919 ≈ 0.191, which is 19.1%, and 131,662 ÷ 350,919 ≈ 0.375, which is 37.5%. The book rounds these to 19% and 38%.

58. Park City's three shares fill one column

Worked example

Figure (svg): Three bars drawn to scale for Park City's age groups: children 67,059, working-age adults 152,198, retirees 131,662

\[ \begin{aligned} &\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{67{,}059} + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{152{,}198} \\ &{+}\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{131{,}662} = \textcolor{#6b7280}{350{,}919} \end{aligned} \]

Add the three counts

Why: one town total

\[ \begin{aligned} \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{67{,}059} &\div \textcolor{#6b7280}{350{,}919} \approx 0.191 \\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{152{,}198} &\div \textcolor{#6b7280}{350{,}919} \approx 0.434 \\ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{131{,}662} &\div \textcolor{#6b7280}{350{,}919} \approx 0.375 \end{aligned} \]

Divide each by the town

Why: one shared whole

Figure (svg): Park City's three age groups as shares of one column against a per-cent axis from 0 to 100

\[ 0.191,\ 0.434,\ 0.375 \to \textcolor{#b54708}{19.1},\ \textcolor{#b54708}{43.4},\ \textcolor{#b54708}{37.5} \]

Rescale to per cents

Why: the column's own axis

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{19.1} + \textcolor{#b54708}{43.4} + \textcolor{#b54708}{37.5} = \textcolor{#b54708}{100.0} \]

Check: add the shares

Why: the column fills

59. Five rules cover every picture in this section

Pattern

  1. Stemplot: leaf = final digit, stem = the rest
  2. Sort the leaves; keep the blank stems
  3. Row length is a count; a blank run is a gap
  4. Line graph: join counted points across equal steps
  5. Bar: a count, or a part over its own whole

\[ \text{value} = \text{stem} \times 10 + \text{leaf}, \qquad \textcolor{#b54708}{\text{share}} = \frac{\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{\text{part}}}{\textcolor{#6b7280}{\text{whole}}} \times 100 \]

60. A stemplot answers a question about part of a row

Check

Figure (svg): Try It 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 6 holding the 30 basketball scores

Check your understanding

From Try It 2.1's stemplot, in how many of the 30 games did Park City score fewer than 45 points?

  • A. 10 (correct)
  • B. 5
  • C. 12
  • D. 17

Answer: A

Why: Row 3 holds 32, 32, 33, 34 and 38, all of them under 45, which is five games. Row 4 holds twelve scores, but only 40, 42, 42, 43 and 44 are under 45: five more. 5 + 5 = 10.

Why B tempts people
Five is row 3 alone, which leaves out the 40 to 44 scores sitting on row 4.
Why C tempts people
Twelve is the whole of row 4, which counts 46 to 49 as though they were under 45.
Why D tempts people
Seventeen adds the whole of rows 3 and 4, counting seven games that scored 45 or more.

61. Ten of the 30 games finished under 45 points

Worked example

Figure (svg): Try It 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 6 holding the 30 basketball scores

\[ 3 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{8} \to 5 \]

Count all of row 3

Why: every 30s score is under 45

Figure (svg): Try It 2.1's stemplot with row 3 shaded

\[ 4 \mid \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{0}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{2}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{3}\,\textcolor{#1f5fbf}{4} \to 5 \]

Count row 4's leaves below 5

Why: 40 to 44 stay under 45

Figure (svg): Try It 2.1's stemplot with the first five leaves of row 4 boxed

\[ 5 + 5 = 10 \]

Add the two counts

Why: all games under the cut-off

\[ 12 - 5 = 7 \]

Subtract from row 4's length

Why: splits row 4 at the cut-off

\[ 10 + 7 + 11 + 2 = 30 \]

Check: add the four groups

Why: the season's 30 games, all counted

62. A fan reads improvement into the side-by-side plot

Check

Figure (svg): A side-by-side stemplot: the Hawks' wins as leaves left of the stem, losses right, seasons 33 to 42

Check your understanding

A fan says the side-by-side plot proves the Hawks improved, because the losses side sits higher up the stems. Is that reasoning sound?

  • A. No: the plot carries no season order (correct)
  • B. Yes: higher losses means worse years, so improvement shows
  • C. No: the two sides use different stems
  • D. Yes: the wins side sits lower, which proves decline

Answer: A

Why: A side-by-side stemplot sorts each set into rows and throws away which season each value came from. It can say losses ran higher than wins across these ten years; it cannot say whether the team got better or worse as the seasons passed.

Why B tempts people
Improvement is a change over time, and this plot records no time at all.
Why C tempts people
Both sides share one stem column — that sharing is the whole point of the display.
Why D tempts people
The wins side is indeed lower, but that compares wins with losses, not early seasons with late ones.

63. Only the line graph shows the ten-year climb

Worked example

Figure (svg): A side-by-side stemplot: the Hawks' wins as leaves left of the stem, losses right, seasons 33 to 42

\[ \text{wins side: } \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{13} \text{ to } \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{53} \]

Read the wins side's ends

Why: the plot stores values, not dates

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{25} \text{ in season } 33, \quad \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{53} \text{ in season } 42 \]

Name the seasons behind them

Why: the rows never recorded a year

Figure (svg): A line graph of the Hawks' wins against season number, seasons 33 to 42, 0 to 60 wins up the side

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{53} - \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{25} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{28} \]

Subtract season 33 from 42

Why: the climb no row could show

\[ 42 - 33 = 9 \]

Count the steps between

Why: nine seasons carried the gain

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{28} \div 9 \approx 3.1 \]

Check: share the gain over nine

Why: about three extra wins a season

64. Two tens hold 45.2% of Professor Dean's class

Worked example

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot: stems 3 to 10 with leaves

\[ 6 \mid \ \to \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7}, \quad 9 \mid \ \to \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7} \]

Find the two longest rows

Why: the tens where scores pile up

Figure (svg): Example 2.1's stemplot with rows 6 and 9 shaded

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7} + \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{7} = \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{14} \]

Add the two row lengths

Why: how many scores sit in the peaks

\[ \textcolor{#1f5fbf}{14} \div 31 \approx 0.452 \]

Divide by the class size

Why: their share of Professor Dean's class

\[ 0.452 \to \textcolor{#b54708}{45.2\%} \]

Rescale the fraction

Why: puts the peaks per hundred

\[ \textcolor{#b54708}{45.2} < 50 \]

Check the share against a half

Why: the peaks fall just short of half

65. You can draw and read all four pictures now

Recap

The book's Table 2.5: 40 age leaves, 39 presidents.

OpenStax Introductory Statistics 2e, §2.1 Stem-and-Leaf Graphs (Stemplots), Line Graphs, and Bar Graphs §2.1, pp. 66-74 — Examples 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.6 and the Try Its trace back here

Sources

  1. OpenStax Introductory Statistics 2e, §2.1 Stem-and-Leaf Graphs (Stemplots), Line Graphs, and Bar Graphs — Illowsky & Dean, OpenStax / Rice University, CC BY 4.0, pp. 66-74
  2. OpenStax Introductory Business Statistics 2e, §2.1 Display Data — Illowsky & Dean, OpenStax / Rice University, CC BY 4.0

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