Final answer:
The critical value zₐ/₂ that corresponds to the confidence level 85% is approximately 1.44.
Step-by-step explanation:
The critical value zₐ/₂ that corresponds to the confidence level 85% can be found using a standard normal probability distribution table or a calculator. For a confidence level of 85%, the area in the tails of the distribution is (1-0.85)/2 = 0.075. We need to find the z-score that has an area of 0.075 in the right tail, which is approximately 1.44.