Final answer:
To construct a confidence interval for the mean number of insect fragments per 10g portions in the population, we can use the formula CI = x bar +/- z * (sigma/sqrt(n)). However, since the sample standard deviation is not given, it is not possible to calculate the confidence interval.
Step-by-step explanation:
In this question, we are given a simple random sample of 60 portions of a food item, and we are interested in estimating the mean number of insect fragments per 10g portions in the population. The sample mean is given as 2.5 insect fragments per 10g portions.
To construct a confidence interval for the population mean, we can use the formula:
CI = x bar +/- z * (sigma/sqrt(n))
Where x bar is the sample mean, z is the appropriate z-score for the desired confidence level, sigma is the population standard deviation (which we don't have), and n is the sample size.
Since we don't have the population standard deviation, we can use the sample standard deviation as an estimate. However, in this question, we are not given the sample standard deviation, so it is not possible to calculate the confidence interval.