The History Channel claims that the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old. Can this possibly be proved right?

Answer 1

It's not clear whether you are asking about how the age of the earth is determined, or about the word "proved." (So I'll answer both.)

The age of the earth has been pretty firmly established by scientists at about 4.56 billion years old. This is based on radiometric dating of the oldest rocks on the planet (ranging up to about 4.4 to 4.5 billion years old), which corresponds pretty nicely with most meteorites found (which are all about 4.56 billion years old ... which tells us when they formed, and thus the approximate age of the solar system).

Radiometric dating is based on the constant decay of radioactive atoms (isotopes). There are about 40 different isotopes that we use, each of which has a different (but constant) rate of decay. And all of those that decay slow enough to date something into the billions of years all produce approximately the same age on the same samples ... 4.6 billion years old.

[For example, Potassium-Argon dating is one of those methods, and it works like this. Potassium-40 decays to Argon-40 with a known half-life of 1.26 billion years (this means that half of the Potassium-40 will become Argon-40 in 1.26 billion years). When a rock (or a meteor) forms, it may contain some trace quantities of Potassium, but no Argon (since Argon is a gas and escapes during the formation process). So if we carefully pulverize a small sample of the rock, and we can detect presence of Argon-40, we know this is the product of radioactive decay. By measuring the ratio of Postassium-40 to Argon-40 in the rock, we can know how long this decay has been going on .. and this gives us the age of the rock. Like I say, there are about 40 different methods we use, and the all give us the same types of results.]

Does this "prove" the age of the earth? Well, technically, nothing is *EVER* "proved" in science. It is just accepted beyond a reasonable doubt as a fact ... as in this case. That is just where the evidence leads us.

Answer 2

The claim that the Earth is 4.5 billion years old is based upon the fact that we assume that the age of the oldest space rocks found in our solar system is equal to the age of the Earth. It means that the 4.5 billion year age of the Earth is based upon the age of a space rock.

Why is that?

The particles of matter used to form our planet is also from the group of particles that formed those space rocks when they were formed. Take note that the Earth and those space rocks formed at the same time, or else the claim isn't accurate

The oldest rock found on Earth is dated to be 4.4 billion years old (short by 100 million years) but is surrounded by a controversy.

Answer 3

Lately the History channel has been making absurdly silly claims in its programming. This time however they actually go a fact right. Yes the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old.

Answer 4

Just for the record, geologists do NOT use carbon 14 decay to date anything older than about 100,000 years. That's because C14 has a half-life of ~5730 years; that is, half of the amount originally present will have transformed into Nitrogen 14 in 5730 years. Thus, to use C14 to date something a mere 1,000,000 years old, it would originally have needed to have at least 4.8x10^52 times the amount of C14 it now has. If you have a 1 gram sample, then the original would have massed more than the Solar System!

What we do use is the decay of Uranium 235, Uranium 238, Thorium, Rubidium, and other elements with long half-lives.

Answer 5

No, it cannot. The method that evolutionists use to prove this is radioactive carbon-14 decay, and this is not at all an accurrate method. The Earth can be no more than 6,000-10,000 years old. This is easily proved by the fact that a planet's magnetic field cannot last for billions of years. We would long ago have lost our magnetic field, like Mars has, and become a barren and lifeless planet.

Answer 6

YES.

It can be proven by carbon dating various rocks found
on the planet Earth. The oldest ones date back to
around 4 and 5 Billion Years of age. Lots of scientists all over the world have done this, and one way to get your tests
acknowledged as being correct is to write them up in
such a way that someone else can repeat them and get the
same results. If everyone gets the same results, the test is valid...It was done that way, and it was a series of valid tests.

Visit the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, for further information, exhibits, and displays on the subject.

Answer 7

Yes. If you get a transcript of the show, you will be able to find exactly what was said and who said it,and when. That should prove that the History Channel made such a claim.

Answer 8

Half life of several radioactive element all agree closely on age of earth. When many proofs exist that prove fact. No proof at of Bishop Ussher creation 4004BCE.

Answer 9

What do you mean "the history channel claims"... they are reporting other peoples research not their own... The claim is made by scientists not tv channels.

See the following links for Radiological dating information. Usually Lead (Pb).

http://mtsu32.mtsu.edu:11407/100time.html

http://www.amazon.com/Age-Earth-G-Dalrymple/dp/0804723311

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0521552133/commentaryonreve

Answer 10

If you follow the decay of certain elements (isotopes) then yes. Based on the way that certain elements decay we can ascertain the age of the crust of the Earth.