Final answer:
It is not appropriate to use the t-test statistic in this case.
Step-by-step explanation:
When performing a hypothesis test of a single population mean using a t-distribution, there are certain assumptions that need to be met. The data should be a simple random sample from a population that is approximately normally distributed. Since the sample size is 15, which is relatively small, it is not appropriate to use the t-test statistic in this case.