Question: Biology and Environmental Science For the week ending 5/29/13, the Iowa Department of Agriculture reported the mean weight of barrows and gilts (young male and female hogs) as 275.4 pounds.17 To check this claim, a random sample of hogs was obtained and each was carefully weighed. The weight (in pounds) of each is given in the following table.
a. Assuming the underlying distribution of barrow and gilt weights is normal, find a 95% confidence interval for the true mean weight of barrows and gilts.
b. Using your answer in part (a), is there any evidence to suggest that the claim (μ = 275.4) is wrong? Justify your answer.