Which of the following is a correct first-class lever example?

• A. A wheelbarrow used to lift a load.
• B. A screwdriver prying a lid from a paint can.
• C. A hydraulic jack lifting a car.
• D. A seesaw in balance.

Answer: (B)

In a first-class lever, the fulcrum sits between the effort and the load. Using a flat-head screwdriver to pry a lid demonstrates this setup clearly: the edge of the can acts as the pivot (fulcrum), the lid is the load you’re lifting, and your force on the screwdriver’s handle is the effort on the opposite side of the fulcrum. This exactly matches the defining arrangement of a first-class lever.

The wheelbarrow shows the load between the fulcrum (the wheel) and the effort (the handles), which makes it a second-class lever, not first-class. A hydraulic jack relies on fluid pressure rather than a simple lever arrangement, so it isn’t classified as a lever in this context. A seesaw is a classic first-class lever, but prying a lid with a screwdriver is a straightforward, real-world example of a first-class lever in action.