To determine the appropriate null and alternate hypotheses for this scenario:

1. Null Hypothesis $H_0$: The null hypothesis typically represents the claim of no effect or no difference. Here, it states that the population mean weight of the flounder is 40 grams:
   $H_0 : \mu = 40$

2. Alternate Hypothesis $H_1$: The alternate hypothesis reflects the research question, which states that the mean weight differs from 40 grams. This is a two-tailed test because the word "differs" implies it could be either greater or smaller than 40 grams:
   $H_1 : \mu \neq 40$

Thus:

• $H_0 : \mu = 40$
• $H_1 : \mu \neq 40$

If you need help conducting the hypothesis test, such as determining the test statistic or p-value, let me know!

Would you like a step-by-step explanation of how to perform this hypothesis test?

Here are 5 related questions you might explore:

1. What type of test should be used for this hypothesis (e.g., z-test or t-test)?
2. How do you calculate the test statistic for this sample?
3. What is the p-value, and how do you interpret it?
4. What is the significance level ($\alpha$) typically used in hypothesis tests?
5. How do we conclude whether to reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis?

Tip: Always check if the sample size is large enough to approximate normality when performing hypothesis tests.