Fossils are dated by

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amount of sodium in them

amount of calcium residue in them

their number in an area

amount of radioactive carbon isotope in them

answer is D.

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Detailed Solution

Radioactive carbon method is used for determining the age of fossils (dating of fossils). Some elements like carbon exist in different isotopes -¹²C and ¹⁴C. The ¹⁴C is a unstable radioactive isotope which decay over the course of time at a steady rate and produce non radioactive isotopes of other elements. This study rate is known as half life of that radioactive isotope usually given in units of years. Taking into the account, this half life of radioactive isotope, we can calculate ratio of radioactive isotope and its decay product in the rock where the fossil was excavated. Half life of Carbon-14 is approximately 5730 years which means every 5730 years, half of the ¹⁴C will decay into ¹⁴N.

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