Question

Suppose that you have a data set that contains a large number of observations. Which graphical display is generally preferable; a histogram or a stem-and-leaf diagram? Explain your answer.

Short answer

The histogram is superior since, by selecting the right class width, it can handle a large number of observations.

Step-by-step solution

Concept introduction

A histogram is a bar graph-like data representation that groups a range of possibilities into column along the $x$-axis.

Explanation

When dealing with large numbers of observations, a histogram is preferred since it can accommodate a big number of observations by selecting the proper class width, and stem and leaf diagrams are often effective for huge data sets.