Question

the total number of items sold by each student who participated in a fund - raiser is shown in the stem and leaf plot.
which statement is best supported by the data in the stem and leaf plot?
a the most common number of items sold is 15.
b the most common number of items sold is 30.
c the number of students who sold more than 30 items is greater than the number of students who sold fewer than 30 items.
d the number of students who sold between 10 and 20 items is greater than the number of students who sold more than 40 items.

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze option A

In a stem - and - leaf plot, the mode (most common value) is not 15. Looking at the leaf part, there is no repeated 5 for the stem 1 (since 1|2 means 12).

Step2: Analyze option B

The mode (most common value) is not 30. There is no stem 3 in the given plot (the stems are 1 and 2).

Step3: Analyze option C

Count the number of students who sold fewer than 30 items. The stems are 1 and 2. The number of data points for stem 1: 4 (11, 12, 13, 14), for stem 2: 12 (22, 25, 25, 25, 25, 20, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 29). Total of 16 students who sold fewer than 30 items.
Count the number of students who sold more than 30 items: 0 (since the maximum value from the plot: for stem 2, the maximum leaf is 9, so 29). So the number of students who sold fewer than 30 items (16) is greater than the number of students who sold more than 30 items (0).

Step4: Analyze option D

Count the number of students who sold between 10 and 20 items (stem 1: 4 students) and the number of students who sold more than 40 items: 0. So it is not correct.

Answer:

C. The number of students who sold fewer than 30 items is greater than the number of students who sold more than 30 items.