Question

Which quantity helps
determine the absolute age of
rocks and fossils?
the ratio of carbon-12
to carbon-14
the difference between
the amounts of carbon12 and carbon-14
the ratio of protons to
neutrons in carbon-14
the difference between
the number of protons
and neutrons in
carbon-14

Answer 1

The quantity that helps determine the absolute age of rocks and fossils is **the ratio of carbon-12 to carbon-14**.

Carbon-14 dating, also known as radiocarbon dating, compares the ratio of carbon-14 (a radioactive isotope) to carbon-12 (a stable isotope) in organic materials. By measuring this ratio and understanding the half-life of carbon-14, scientists can estimate the time since the organism died, thus determining the age of the sample.