To find the magnitude of the ant's displacement from its original position, we need to consider the total movement.
- The ant travels 30.0 cm to the east.
- Then, it travels 15.0 cm to the west.
To find the net displacement:
- Starting from the original position, moving 30.0 cm east, we can represent that as +30.0 cm.
- Moving 15.0 cm to the west is represented as -15.0 cm.
Now, we calculate the net displacement: \[ \text{Net Displacement} = 30.0 , \text{cm} - 15.0 , \text{cm} = 15.0 , \text{cm} \] Since the net movement is in the eastern direction, the ant's displacement from the original position is 15.0 cm to the east.
So, the answer is: c. 15 cm to the east.