An ant on a picnic table travels 30.0 cm to the east, then 15.0 cm to the west. What is the magnitude of the ant's displacement from its original position?
a
45 cm to the east
b
45 cm to the west
c
15 cm to the east
d
15 cm to the west
The magnitude of the ant's displacement is the distance between its final position and its original position.
The ant travels 30.0 cm to the east and then 15.0 cm to the west.
To find the ant's final position, we subtract the distance traveled to the west from the distance traveled to the east.
30.0 cm - 15.0 cm = 15.0 cm
Therefore, the ant's displacement is 15.0 cm to the east.
The correct answer is c) 15 cm to the east.