Final answer:
The Clark Company must assess if equipment recalibration is necessary, as the standard deviation of 84 sampled cereal boxes exceeded the standard of 0.5 ounces. Proper statistical methods must be applied to decide on recalibration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves determining whether the Clark Company needs to recalibrate its equipment based on a specified standard deviation for the weight of its cereal boxes. The existing standard deviation should not exceed 0.5 ounces, but a sample of 84 boxes shows a standard deviation of 0.54 ounces. To assess the need for recalibration, the plant manager needs to compare the sample standard deviation to the process standard deviation using the appropriate statistical methods, often involving hypothesis testing or statistical process control.
In the context of manufacturing, a standard often refers to the set of guidelines or specifications that are established to ensure consistency and quality in the products manufactured. Industries often design their processes to produce identical products consistently, and the Clark Company's concern about the fluctuation in cereal box weight is an example of monitoring and controlling product quality.