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Qstat Desktop
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Stem-and-Leaf Plot Maker

List modest-sized data such as test scores in 'stem | leaves' form, so you can see the distribution shape like a histogram while still reading every value.

1Data Table

Paste a table copied from Excel into a cell (Ctrl+V). Click a column header (A, B…) before pasting to use the first line as column names. Double-click a header to rename it, right-click to insert/delete rows and columns, and formulas such as =A1*2 work too.

2Stem-and-Leaf Plot Options

Select one data column to plot:

How to make a stem-and-leaf plot

  1. Copy the numeric column to plot together with its header.
  2. Click the column header (A) in the data table and paste - the first line becomes the column name. You can also open a CSV or Excel file.
  3. Select one data column, and leave the stem unit blank (automatic) or enter one such as 1, 10 or 100.
  4. Press Draw and check the number of leaves on each line (the distribution shape) and the automatic interpretation.

What is a stem-and-leaf plot?

A stem-and-leaf plot splits each value into its leading digits (stem) and the next single digit (leaf), and lists the leaves of each stem on one line. With a stem unit of 10, for example, 76 becomes stem 7, leaf 6.

Turned on its side it looks like a histogram while keeping the original values, which is why it is a classic tool of exploratory data analysis (EDA).

Automatic stem unit

With the stem unit blank, the power of ten (1, 10, 100, 0.1, ...) closest to (max - min) / 10 is used so there are roughly 5-15 stems. The leaf is the remainder divided by the stem unit, times 10, rounded to one digit.

How to read a stem-and-leaf plot

  • The line with the most leaves is the interval where the data concentrate most.
  • The automatic interpretation calls the distribution 'asymmetric with a long tail' when the skewness exceeds 1, otherwise 'symmetric', and reports the median.
  • Leaves piled up on one side indicate skew; a long middle suggests a bell shape.

Frequently asked questions

Does it work with decimals?

Yes. Enter a stem unit such as 0.1 or 1 to split decimal data. Leave it blank to choose one automatically from the range.

How are leaves rounded?

Each leaf is a single digit, so lower digits are rounded. Hover over a leaf to see the original value.

What if I have lots of data?

With hundreds of values the lines get too long, so a histogram is recommended.

Is my data sent to a server?

No. Everything is processed inside your browser and nothing is transmitted or stored.

Other chart tools

Histogram MakerSee the distribution, a fitted normal curve and Pp/Ppk against spec limits at once.Dot Plot MakerStack one dot per data point in each interval to show the distribution of small samples.Box Plot MakerCompare medians, quartiles and outliers of several groups side by side.

Need process capability, control charts or DOE?

The Qstat desktop program offers about 250 analysis features: histograms and box plots plus process capability (Cp, Cpk), control charts, measurement system analysis (MSA), design of experiments (DOE), regression and machine learning.

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