Ben bought a bag of potatoes that weighed 2.25 pounds. He also bought 2 boxes of raisins that weighed 0.375 pound each and 2 bags of apples that weighed 1.5 pounds each. Ben carried all items except for one bag of apples, which his brother carried. How many total pounds did Ben carry?

The correct answer is C. 4.5 pounds.

Step-by-step explanation:

Since Ben bought a bag of potatoes that weighed 2.25 pounds, 2 boxes of raisins that total weighed 0.750 pounds (0.375 x 2), and 2 bags of apples that weighed 3 pounds total (1.5 x 2), the total weight of the merchandise purchased by Ben was 6 pounds.

Now, since his brother carried a bag of apples, which weighed 1.5 pounds, the total weight carried by Ben was 4.5 pounds (6 - 1.5).