Approximately how old is Earth?

Answer 1

4.57 billion years

A POTTED HISTORY

Scientists have been able to reconstruct detailed information about the planet's past. Earth and the other planets in the Solar System formed 4.57 billion years ago out of the solar nebula, a disk-shaped mass of dust and gas left over from the formation of the Sun.

Initially molten, the outer layer of the planet Earth cooled to form a solid crust when water began accumulating in the atmosphere. The Moon formed soon afterwards, possibly as the result of a Mars-sized object with about 10% of the Earth's mass, known as Theia, impacting the Earth in a glancing blow.

Some of this object's mass merged with the Earth and a portion was ejected into space, but enough material survived to form an orbiting moon.

Outgassing and volcanic activity produced the primordial atmosphere. Condensing water vapor, augmented by ice delivered by comets, produced the oceans. The highly energetic chemistry is believed to have produced a self-replicating molecule around 4 billion years ago, and half a billion years later, the last common ancestor of all life existed.

The development of photosynthesis allowed the sun's energy to be harvested directly by life forms; the resultant oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere and resulted in a layer of ozone (a form of molecular oxygen [O3]) in the upper atmosphere.

The incorporation of smaller cells within larger ones resulted in the development of complex cells called eukaryotes. True multicellular organisms formed as cells within colonies became increasingly specialized.

Aided by the absorption of harmful ultraviolet radiation by the ozone layer, life colonized the surface of Earth.

Answer 2

I don't know. I wasn't looking at my watch when God formed everything. Remember his day or year can be way different from ours. Sure the earth was void and without form and God spoke the light into being, seperating the day and night(on earth) but how long in earth years did he let it form before creating things here? Not sure. China has written history dating back 10,000 years or so. But is that an acurate fact? No way to know. Approximately is a good way to ask this question. It welcomes gusses and conjecture. I'll guess in our way of measuring time, God spoke the universe into being 6 billion years ago, and when he felt the time was right, a few thousand years ago, he created water and plants and bugs and People. Yes, Adam and Eve were the first, but others had to be created as well or Cane wouldn't have been afraid to go to the city after slaying Able for fear of the people there being mean to him after murdering his brother.

Answer 3

The generally accepted age for the Earth and the rest of the solar system is about 4.55 billion years (plus or minus about 1%). This value is derived from several different lines of evidence.

Unfortunately, the age cannot be computed directly from material that is solely from the Earth. There is evidence that energy from the Earth's accumulation caused the surface to be molten. Further, the processes of erosion and crustal recycling have apparently destroyed all of the earliest surface.

The oldest rocks which have been found so far (on the Earth) date to about 3.8 to 3.9 billion years ago (by several radiometric dating methods). Some of these rocks are sedimentary, and include minerals which are themselves as old as 4.1 to 4.2 billion years. Rocks of this age are relatively rare, however rocks that are at least 3.5 billion years in age have been found on North America, Greenland, Australia, Africa, and Asia.

Answer 4

About 4.6 billion years.

We base our answer to this on the assumption that all the planets of our solar system formed at the same time. This assumption so far has been supported by evidence within our own solar system, as well as studies and observations of star formation.

With this being the case the Earth must be about the same age as the oldest solid material in the solar system. We have collected pieces of asteroids (meteorites on the earth) that were never part of large bodies, and are chemically similar to the sun, giving evidence that these "rocks" were some of the first to form in the solar system.

These carbonaceous chondrites date back to about 4.6 billion years, so that if our current best estimate for the age of the earth.

Answer 5

I just watched a video by Nova called Origins and it said the earth is about 6 billion years old, and that the first life forms showed up about 4 billion years ago.

Answer 6

There are two ages to be considered. one is imaginary and the other one isreal.
We are only able to observed a dilated age which is the imaginary one. In this case Einstein's time dilation formula may have a point.
Since I was not there when Creation took place it would be just a scientific guess to actually delineate to the second when actual construction of the earth and the Universe took place.

Answer 7

according to imax's videos in california science center 4.5 billion years old. Why? in new mexico they have step hills right? well each layer represents a certain period of time in earths creation. so every 100 years a new color of soil is present. the higher the layer the most recent and the lowest layer is aproxomonly 4.5 million years old. cool huh >^*^<

Answer 8

Approximately 4.6 billion years.

Answer 9

I think it is a little less than 5 billion years. It is probably just about as old as the solar system.

Answer 10

well the approx age of earth is arouind 4.55 billion years & is found by using radioactivity dating methods.
The problem is scientist cant perfectly tell age of earth.