Maria is studying in a kitchen where a noisy ceiling fan spins above her. after an hour, maria no longer pays attention to the fan. what explains her current response?

Answer: Her current situation is explained by sensory adaptation.

Sensory adaptation it's when the sensitivity to a stimulus decreases as a consequence of constant exposure to the stimulus.

When the stimulus starts, the neurons will begin firing action potentials. After a while in the same environment, you'll most likely have forgotten all about that sensation (in this case the fan noise) even though the stimulus is exactly the same.