To solve this problem, we can use similar triangles. Let's denote the distance between the man's feet and the base of the tree as x.
We have two similar triangles in this case: the first triangle is formed by the man, the distance to the bird, and the height of the tree. The second triangle is formed by the man, the distance to the bird, and the distance between the man's feet and the base of the tree.
Using the property of similar triangles, we can set up the following proportion:
(man's height) / (distance to bird) = (tree height) / (distance between feet and base of tree)
Substituting the given values, we have:
1.5 / 8 = 4.5 / x
Now, we can cross-multiply and solve for x:
1.5 * x = 8 * 4.5
x = (8 * 4.5) / 1.5
x = 24
Therefore, the distance between the feet of the man and the base of the tree is 24 meters.