The ages of the 45 members of a track and field team are listed below. Which of these choices display the correct stemplot? $\begin{array}{lllllllllllllll}
21 & 18 & 42 & 35 & 32 & 21 & 44 & 25 & 38 & 48 & 14 & 19 & 23 & 22 & 28 \
32 & 34 & 27 & 31 & 17 & 16 & 41 & 37 & 22 & 24 & 33 & 32 & 21 & 26 & 30 \
22 & 27 & 32 & 30 & 20 & 18 & 17 & 21 & 15 & 26 & 36 & 31 & 40 & 16 & 25
\end{array}$

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To make a stemplot, we need to split each observation into a stem (the tens digit) and a leaf (the ones digit). Then, we order the stems from least to greatest and write them in a vertical column. Write the corresponding leaf for each observation next to its stem. The stems should be equally spaced and easy to read.

Using this method, we get the following stemplot for the given data:

1 | 4 5 6 
2 | 1 2 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 
3 | 0 1 2 2 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 
4 | 1 2 4

The stemplot in choice A is incorrect because it includes stems for observations that aren't in the data set (such as 0 or 9).

The Ages of the 45 Members of a Track and Field