Depends. Some traps are hard to see, but the danger they pose is obvious once found. Others are hidden in such a way that simply looking in the right place (e.g. under a carpet) will reveal the presence of the trap with no check required. Some traps might have parts exposed in plain right, but it's not obvious what it does or what to do to disable it; in those cases, the DM might call for an investigation.
Remember, players don't use ability checks directly; they tell the DM what they're trying to do and the DM decides if an ability check if necessary and/or a skill is applicable.
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I know this will be a silly question
can a PC use either Perception or Investigation to spot traps?
Depends. Some traps are hard to see, but the danger they pose is obvious once found. Others are hidden in such a way that simply looking in the right place (e.g. under a carpet) will reveal the presence of the trap with no check required. Some traps might have parts exposed in plain right, but it's not obvious what it does or what to do to disable it; in those cases, the DM might call for an investigation.
Remember, players don't use ability checks directly; they tell the DM what they're trying to do and the DM decides if an ability check if necessary and/or a skill is applicable.
The Forum Infestation (TM)