Final answer:
Noah covered a total distance of 90 feet. His displacement, however, is 30 feet to the west since he ended up directly west of his starting point.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves concepts of distance and displacement, which are fundamental to physics studies, specifically kinematics. Distance is a scalar quantity that represents the total path length traveled regardless of direction, while displacement is a vector quantity that denotes the change in position of an object, accounting for both magnitude and direction.
Noah's movements can be represented as vectors wherein he first travels 30 feet north, then 30 feet west, and finally 30 feet south. The total distance covered by Noah is the sum of these individual movements, which, when added, give us 30 feet + 30 feet + 30 feet = 90 feet. In terms of his displacement, since he ends up 30 feet directly west of his starting point, the magnitude of his displacement is 30 feet to the west. The correct answer would be C) Distance: 90 feet, Displacement: 30 feet to the west.