5 Ways To Create Stem Leaf Plot In Excel

Stem and leaf plots are a unique way to display the distribution of data, and they can be particularly useful for small to medium-sized datasets. While Excel doesn't have a built-in function for creating stem and leaf plots, there are several workarounds that you can use to create one. In this article, we'll explore five different methods for creating a stem and leaf plot in Excel.

Method 1: Using the FREQUENCY Function

One way to create a stem and leaf plot in Excel is by using the FREQUENCY function. This function calculates how often values fall within a range of values. To use this method, you'll need to follow these steps:

1. Enter your data into a column in Excel.
2. Create a new column next to your data, and enter the stem values. For example, if your data ranges from 10 to 99, your stem values might be 1, 2, 3, etc.
3. In the next column, use the FREQUENCY function to calculate the frequency of each stem value. The syntax for the FREQUENCY function is FREQUENCY(data_array, bins_array).
4. Enter the stem values as the bins_array, and your data as the data_array.
5. Press Enter, and the FREQUENCY function will calculate the frequency of each stem value.

Example:

Suppose we have the following data:

Data
12
15
18
22
25
28
32

We want to create a stem and leaf plot with stems 1 and 2. Our stem values would be:

Stem
1
2

Using the FREQUENCY function, we get:

Stem	Frequency
1	3
2	4

Our stem and leaf plot would look like this:

1 | 2 5 8 2 | 2 5 8

Method 2: Using PivotTables

Another way to create a stem and leaf plot in Excel is by using PivotTables. To use this method, follow these steps:

1. Enter your data into a column in Excel.
2. Create a PivotTable by going to the "Insert" tab and clicking on "PivotTable."
3. Drag the data field to the "Row Labels" area, and then right-click on the field and select "Group."
4. In the "Grouping" dialog box, select "Group by" and then select the stem values. For example, if your data ranges from 10 to 99, you might group by tens.
5. Click "OK," and the PivotTable will group your data by stem value.
6. To create the leaf values, you'll need to add a new column to the PivotTable. Right-click on the data field and select "Value Field Settings."
7. In the "Value Field Settings" dialog box, select "Count" as the value field.
8. Click "OK," and the PivotTable will display the count of each leaf value.

Example:

Suppose we have the same data as before:

Data
12
15
18
22
25
28
32

We want to create a stem and leaf plot with stems 1 and 2. Our PivotTable would look like this:

Stem	Count
1	3
2	4

Our stem and leaf plot would look like this:

1 | 2 5 8 2 | 2 5 8

Method 3: Using Formulas

You can also create a stem and leaf plot using formulas in Excel. To use this method, follow these steps:

1. Enter your data into a column in Excel.
2. Create a new column next to your data, and enter the stem values.
3. In the next column, use the following formula to create the leaf values: =IF(A2>=B2,IF(A2<(B2+10),A2-B2*10,""),"")
4. Where A2 is the data value, and B2 is the stem value.
5. Copy the formula down to the rest of the cells in the column.
6. To count the frequency of each leaf value, use the COUNTIF function: =COUNTIF(C:C,C2)
7. Where C:C is the range of leaf values, and C2 is the current leaf value.

Example:

Suppose we have the same data as before:

Data
12
15
18
22
25
28
32

We want to create a stem and leaf plot with stems 1 and 2. Our formula would look like this:

Stem	Leaf
1	2
1	5
1	8
2	2
2	5
2	8

Our stem and leaf plot would look like this:

1 | 2 5 8 2 | 2 5 8

Method 4: Using VBA Macro

You can also create a stem and leaf plot using a VBA macro in Excel. To use this method, follow these steps:

1. Enter your data into a column in Excel.
2. Press Alt + F11 to open the VBA editor.
3. In the VBA editor, click "Insert" > "Module" to insert a new module.
4. Paste the following code into the module:

Sub StemAndLeafPlot()
  Dim data As Range
  Dim stem As Range
  Dim leaf As Range
  Dim i As Integer
  Dim j As Integer
  
  Set data = Range("A1:A10") 'change to your data range
  Set stem = Range("B1:B10") 'change to your stem range
  Set leaf = Range("C1:C10") 'change to your leaf range
  
  For i = 1 To data.Rows.Count
    For j = 1 To stem.Rows.Count
      If data(i, 1) >= stem(j, 1) And data(i, 1) < (stem(j, 1) + 10) Then
        leaf(j, 1) = data(i, 1) - stem(j, 1) * 10
      End If
    Next j
  Next i
End Sub

5. Change the ranges to match your data, stem, and leaf ranges.
6. Press F5 to run the macro.
7. The macro will create the stem and leaf plot in the leaf range.

Example:

Suppose we have the same data as before:

Data
12
15
18
22
25
28
32

We want to create a stem and leaf plot with stems 1 and 2. Our macro would create the following stem and leaf plot:

1 | 2 5 8 2 | 2 5 8

Method 5: Using Add-ins

You can also create a stem and leaf plot using add-ins in Excel. To use this method, follow these steps:

1. Download and install an add-in that supports stem and leaf plots, such as the "Analysis ToolPak" add-in.
2. Enter your data into a column in Excel.
3. Go to the "Data" tab and click on "Data Analysis."
4. Select "Stem and Leaf Plot" from the list of available tools.
5. Follow the prompts to create the stem and leaf plot.

Example:

Suppose we have the same data as before:

Data
12
15
18
22
25
28
32

We want to create a stem and leaf plot with stems 1 and 2. Our add-in would create the following stem and leaf plot:

1 | 2 5 8 2 | 2 5 8

We hope this article has helped you learn how to create a stem and leaf plot in Excel using five different methods. Whether you use the FREQUENCY function, PivotTables, formulas, VBA macros, or add-ins, you can create a stem and leaf plot that helps you visualize and analyze your data.

Stem and Leaf Plot Image Gallery

We hope you found this article helpful in creating a stem and leaf plot in Excel. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to ask.