Overproduction of uric acid in the body can be an indication of cell breakdown. This may be an advance indication of illness such as gout, leukemia, or lymphoma . Over a period of months, an adult...

Overproduction of uric acid in the body can be an indication of cell breakdown. This may be an advance indication of illness such as gout, leukemia, or lymphoma. Over a period of months, an


adult male patient has taken eight blood tests for uric acid. The mean concentration was ?̅= 5.35mg/dl. The distribution of uric acid in healthy adult males can be assumed to be normal, with σ = 1.85 mg/dl.

a. Find a 90% confidence interval for the population mean concentration of uric acid in this patient’s blood. What is the margin of error?
b. Find a 99% confidence interval for the population mean concentration of uric acid in this patient’s blood. What is the margin of error?

Compare the lengths of the confidence intervals for parts (a) and (b). As the confidence levelsincrease, do the confidence intervals increase in length?