Answer:
1) Only Organism Z is alive, and Organism X has been dead longer than Organism Y.
2) S (sulfur) was oxidized and N (nitrogen) was reduced.
3) Chlorine is reduced in reaction 1 and iron is oxidized in reaction 2.
Explanation:
1) After death of an organism there is radioactive disintegration of C-14 allotrope of carbon, which increases the ratio of C-12 to C-14 in a dead organism as compared to a living organism.
Longer the time of death, more the ratio of the two isotopes.
So as the ratio of isotopes is same in Z, it is alive.
The ratio of isotopes if higher in X than Y,X has been dead longer than Organism Y.
2) oxidation is increase in oxidation state due to loss of electrons and reduction is decrease in oxidation sate due to gain of electrons.
Here oxidation state of hydrogen is same on both the sides of equation.
The oxidation state of sulfur increases and that of nitrogen decreases so sulfur has undergone oxidation while nitrogen reduction.
3) As mentioned above, the oxidation state of iron increases (0 to +2) so it is undergoing oxidation while that of chlorine decreases (0 to -1) so it is undergoing reduction.
