Step 1 :The problem is asking for three different confidence intervals for the average speed of vehicles on I95, given a mean speed of 89 miles per hour and a standard deviation of 14 miles per hour. The sample sizes are 255, 387, and 549. The confidence level is 97%.
Step 2 :The formula for a confidence interval is given by: mean ± Z * (std_dev / sqrt(n)) where: mean is the sample mean, Z is the Z-score, which corresponds to the desired confidence level, std_dev is the standard deviation, and n is the sample size.
Step 3 :The Z-score for a 97% confidence level is approximately 2.33.
Step 4 :For n=255, the 97% confidence interval is approximately (87.10, 90.90).
Step 5 :For n=387, the 97% confidence interval is approximately (87.46, 90.54).
Step 6 :For n=549, the 97% confidence interval is approximately (87.70, 90.30).
Step 7 :As the sample size increases, the margin of error decreases, which means the confidence interval becomes narrower. This is because a larger sample size provides more information about the population, which reduces the uncertainty (and thus the margin of error) in our estimate of the population mean.
Step 8 :Final Answer: \n- When \(n=255\), a \(97 \%\) confidence interval is given by \(\boxed{(87.10, 90.90)}\)\n- When \(n=387\), a \(97 \%\) confidence interval is given by \(\boxed{(87.46, 90.54)}\)\n- When \(n=549\), a \(97 \%\) confidence interval is given by \(\boxed{(87.70, 90.30)}\)\nIf the sample size is increased, leaving all other characteristics constant, the margin of error of the confidence interval will decrease.\nIf the sample size is increased, leaving all other characteristics constant, the width of the confidence interval will decrease.