Final answer:
The most weight a worker can transport using a wheelbarrow, given the dimensions and the worker's maximum lifting force, is 450 lbs. This calculation assumes a wheelbarrow weight of 150 lbs and utilizes the mechanical advantage of the lever system represented by the wheelbarrow.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves calculating the maximum weight a worker can transport using a wheelbarrow given the length of the handle, the distance from the center of the wheelbarrow to the wheel, and the worker's maximum lifting force. Since we are dealing with a lever system, we can use the principle of moments (or the lever principle) which states that the anticlockwise moment must equal the clockwise moment at equilibrium. The moment is the product of the force applied and the distance from the pivot (in this case, the wheel of the wheelbarrow).
We are given that the handle is 4 feet long and the distance from the center of the wheelbarrow to the wheel is 1.5 feet. The ratio of the distances (handle length/distance from center) provides us with the mechanical advantage of the wheelbarrow, which is 4/1.5. With the worker's maximum lifting force being 225 lbs, and using the mechanical advantage, we find that:
Mechanical Advantage (MA) = Load Force (LF) / Effort Force (EF)
LF = MA * EF
LF = (4/1.5) * 225 lbs
LF = 2.6667 * 225 lbs
LF = 600 lbs
However, this is the total weight, including the weight of the wheelbarrow itself. To find the maximum weight the worker can transport, we need to subtract the weight of the wheelbarrow. Assuming the wheelbarrow weighs 150 lbs, the most weight the worker can transport would then be:
Maximum Transportable Weight = Total Weight - Wheelbarrow Weight
Maximum Transportable Weight = 600 lbs - 150 lbs
Maximum Transportable Weight = 450 lbs
Thus, the most weight the worker can transport using the wheelbarrow would be 450 lbs, which corresponds to option (c).