7 A machine, which cuts bread dough for loaves, can be adjusted to cut dough to any specified set weight. For any set weight, \(\mu\) grams, the actual weights of cut dough are known to be approximately normally distributed with a mean of \(\mu\) grams and a fixed standard deviation of \(\sigma\) grams.
It is also known that the machine cuts dough to within 10 grams of any set weight.
- Estimate, with justification, a value for \(\sigma\).
- The machine is set to cut dough to a weight of 415 grams.
As a training exercise, Sunita, the quality control manager, asked Dev, a recently employed trainee, to record the weight of each of a random sample of 15 such pieces of dough selected from the machine's output. She then asked him to calculate the mean and the standard deviation of his 15 recorded weights.
Dev subsequently reported to Sunita that, for his sample, the mean was 391 grams and the standard deviation was 95.5 grams.
Advise Sunita on whether or not each of Dev's values is likely to be correct. Give numerical support for your answers.
- Maria, an experienced quality control officer, recorded the weight, \(y\) grams, of each of a random sample of 10 pieces of dough selected from the machine's output when it was set to cut dough to a weight of 820 grams. Her summarised results were as follows.
$$\sum y = 8210.0 \quad \text { and } \quad \sum ( y - \bar { y } ) ^ { 2 } = 110.00$$
Explain, with numerical justifications, why both of these values are likely to be correct.