Question

It was suggested that the movement of the maggots might have been influenced by the Earth's magnetic field. Suggest one simple way of repeating the investigation which would avoid this possibility.

Answer 1

To avoid the influence of the Earth's magnetic field on the movement of maggots, one can use a Faraday cage, a conductive enclosure that blocks external electromagnetic fields.

Step-by-step explanation:

To address the student's question, one simple way of repeating the investigation to avoid the influence of the Earth's magnetic field might be to use a Faraday cage. This enclosure is made of a conductive material and blocks external static and non-static electric fields. If the student's investigation involves observing the movement of maggots, placing the experimental setup within a Faraday cage would help to isolate it from electromagnetic fields, including those produced by the Earth.

As an example, you could construct a simple Faraday cage using a metal mesh that's grounded to neutralize the influence of external magnetic fields. Place your experimental setup (for instance, a piece of meat to attract the flies and their offspring, the maggots) inside the cage. This would allow you to test if the maggots' movement or development is affected in the absence of the Earth's magnetic influence.