Using the t-distribution, it is found that we do not reject the null hypothesis, which is convincing evidence that the machine is working properly.
At the null hypothesis, it is tested if the mean is of 1.5 inches, that is:
[tex]H_0: \mu = 1.5[/tex].
At the alternative hypothesis, it is tested if it is different, hence:
[tex]H_1: \mu \neq 1.5[/tex].
The test statistic is given by:
[tex]t = \frac{\overline{x} - \mu}{\frac{s}{\sqrt{n}}}[/tex]
The parameters are:
In this problem, their values are:
[tex]\overline{x} = 1.476, \mu = 1.5, s = 0.203, n = 200[/tex].
Hence, the test statistic is given by:
[tex]t = \frac{\overline{x} - \mu}{\frac{s}{\sqrt{n}}}[/tex]
[tex]t = \frac{1.476 - 1.5}{\frac{0.203}{\sqrt{200}}}[/tex]
[tex]t = -1.672[/tex]
Considering a two-tailed test, as we are testing if the mean is diffrent of a value, with 200 - 1 = 199 df and a standard significance level of 0.05, the critical value is of [tex]|t^{\ast} = 1.972[/tex].
Since the absolute value of the test statistic is less than the critical value, we do not reject the null hypothesis, which is convincing evidence that the machine is working properly.
More can be learned about the t-distribution at https://brainly.com/question/16313918