The following data points represent the number of alligators in each body of water near Tom's house.

8,5,12,15

Find the mean absolute deviation (MAD) of the data set.

To find the MAD of the data set, we first need to find the mean (average) of the data set:

Mean = (8 + 5 + 12 + 15) / 4 = 10

Next, we find the absolute deviation for each data point by subtracting the mean from each data point and taking the absolute value:

|8 - 10| = 2
|5 - 10| = 5
|12 - 10| = 2
|15 - 10| = 5

Then, we find the average of these absolute deviations, which is the MAD:

MAD = (2 + 5 + 2 + 5) / 4 = 3.5

Therefore, the mean absolute deviation of the data set is 3.5.

To find the mean absolute deviation (MAD) of a data set, follow these steps:

1. Calculate the mean (average) of the data set.
Mean = (8 + 5 + 12 + 15) / 4 = 40 / 4 = 10

2. Find the absolute deviation for each data point by subtracting the mean from each value and taking the absolute value.
Absolute deviations: |8 - 10| = 2, |5 - 10| = 5, |12 - 10| = 2, |15 - 10| = 5

3. Calculate the average of the absolute deviations, which is the mean absolute deviation (MAD).
MAD = (2 + 5 + 2 + 5) / 4 = 14 / 4 = 3.5

Therefore, the mean absolute deviation (MAD) of the given data set is 3.5.