jenny finds a sample of a mineral known as zircon in a sample of rock material. she takes it back to her…

jenny finds a sample of a mineral known as zircon in a sample of rock material. she takes it back to her laboratory and measures the amount of radioactive uranium in it compared to the amount of radioactive lead. what additional piece of information must jenny have in order to determine the age of the zircon? a. the decay rates of radioactive uranium and lead b. the thickness of sedimentary rock layers found near the zircon c. the density of the rock in which the zircon was found d. the ages of any fossils found near her sample of zircon

jenny finds a sample of a mineral known as zircon in a sample of rock material. she takes it back to her laboratory and measures the amount of radioactive uranium in it compared to the amount of radioactive lead. what additional piece of information must jenny have in order to determine the age of the zircon? a. the decay rates of radioactive uranium and lead b. the thickness of sedimentary rock layers found near the zircon c. the density of the rock in which the zircon was found d. the ages of any fossils found near her sample of zircon

Answer

Brief Explanations:

To determine the age of a mineral like zircon using the ratio of radioactive uranium to radioactive lead, the decay - rates of these radioactive elements are crucial. The decay - rates allow us to calculate how much time has passed based on the current amounts of uranium and lead. The thickness of sedimentary rock layers, density of the rock, and ages of fossils are not relevant for this uranium - lead dating method.

Answer:

A. the decay rates of radioactive uranium and lead