Final answer:
Particles can travel quickly through the carbon cycle through cellular respiration and photosynthesis, while geologic processes can take hundreds of thousands of years.
Step-by-step explanation:
The speed at which particles travel through the carbon cycle can vary depending on the route they take and the processes involved. Some particles can move relatively quickly through the cycle, while others can take hundreds of thousands of years.
One example of a route in the carbon cycle where particles can travel quickly is through cellular respiration and photosynthesis. During cellular respiration, living things release carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere, while photosynthesis by producers such as plants removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and uses it to make organic carbon compounds. This rapid exchange between organisms and the atmosphere allows carbon to cycle quickly.
On the other hand, particles can take much longer to travel through geologic processes in the carbon cycle. For example, when dead plants and algae with carbon compounds fossilize over millions of years, they become known as fossil fuels. The long-term cycling of carbon through these geological processes, including the formation and extraction of fossil fuels, can take hundreds of thousands of years.