Maybe it's a stupid question, but I would like to know the answer anyway.
From what I've read, the earth is about 4.5 billion years old, while the universe is 13-20 billion years old.
My basic understanding of the big bang theory is that all the matter of the universe was compacted and at some point it exploded and was disbursed. Correct?
If that is correct, why is the earth so much younger than the universe? Shouldn't the material of the earth be the same age as the rest of the material in the universe?
What exactly do they mean by the age of the earth? The age of the matter? The time that it formed into a sphere? What? Again, from what I've read, the material of the earth (rocks, etc) are carbon-dated to about 3-4 billion years old.
Anyway, why the discrepancy between the age of the earth and universe?
Thanks for helping. Sorry if it's a 9th grade science question.
2007-09-03
19:05:34
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10 answers
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asked by
blooming chamomile
6
in
Astronomy & Space