Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) Mathematics Practice Exam

A stem and leaf plot is primarily used for which type of data?

1. Qualitative data

2. Bivariate data

3. Categorical data

4. Quantitative data

The correct answer is: Quantitative data

A stem and leaf plot is a useful tool for summarizing and presenting quantitative data. This type of data consists of numerical values that can be measured or counted, such as ages, heights, test scores, or other measurements. The structure of a stem and leaf plot displays the data in a way that maintains the original values while also showing their distribution. The "stem" represents the leading digits of the data values, while the "leaf" represents the trailing digits. This enables one to easily see the shape of the data distribution, determine measures of central tendency, and identify any outliers within the dataset. Quantitative data is appropriate for this type of visualization because it allows for detailed analysis of numerical data distribution, which cannot be effectively achieved with qualitative, bivariate, or categorical data. In contrast, those types of data often involve characteristics, groups, or categories that do not lend themselves to a numerical representation in the same manner as quantitative data.