How can a stem and leaf plot be used to determine the mode of a data set?

Answer:

Answer

The mode of a data set is simply the most frequently occurring value. The mode can be determined from a stem and leaf plot using what one eminent statistician refers to as the "inter-ocular traumatic test" (i.e. by looking at it!)

For example, take the following data set:

10, 11, 20, 21, 24, 27, 27, 27, 28, 28, 29, 29, 29, 31, 33, 33, 33, 33, 33, 39, 53

1|01
2|01477788999
3|1333339
4|
5|3

Even though the peak corresponds with the 20s cohort, it's clear that the most frequently occurring value, and hence the mode, is 33.

First answer by Randovaro. Last edit by Randovaro. Contributor trust: 263 [recommend contributor recommended]. Question popularity: 14 [recommend question].