Radioisotope dating has revealed that the age of the Earth is 4.54–4.6 billion years, and these results are widely accepted.

How do we know Earth is 4.6 billion years old?

The process of figuring out a rocks age often falls to the scientific techniques of radiometric dating, the most famous of which is radiocarbon dating. Based on the very old zircon rock from Australia we know that the Earth is at least 4.374 billion years old.

How did scientists determine the age of the Earth 4.5 billion years old?

During the rock cycle, rocks are constantly changing between forms, going back and forth from igneous to metamorphic to sedimentary. The same techniques of radiometric dating have been used on those rocks. All the data from Earth and beyond has led to the estimated age of 4.5 billion years for our planet.

What does radioisotope dating determine?

Radiometric dating, often called radioactive dating, is a technique used to determine the age of materials such as rocks. It is based on a comparison between the observed abundance of a naturally occurring radioactive isotope and its decay products, using known decay rates.

What is the first Earth age?

4.54 billion years old Earth is estimated to be 4.54 billion years old, plus or minus about 50 million years. Scientists have scoured the Earth searching for the oldest rocks to radiometrically date. In northwestern Canada, they discovered rocks about 4.03 billion years old.

Will we run out of oxygen?

Yes, sadly, the Earth will eventually run out of oxygen — but not for a long time. According to New Scientist, oxygen comprises about 21 percent of Earths atmosphere. That robust concentration allows for large and complex organisms to live and thrive on our planet.

How long is a billion years?

A billion years or giga-annum (109 years) is a unit of time on the petasecond scale, more precisely equal to 3.16×1016 seconds (or simply 1,000,000,000 years).

How long have humans existed?

The first human ancestors appeared between five million and seven million years ago, probably when some apelike creatures in Africa began to walk habitually on two legs. They were flaking crude stone tools by 2.5 million years ago. Then some of them spread from Africa into Asia and Europe after two million years ago.

How did life come into existence?

After things cooled down, simple organic molecules began to form under the blanket of hydrogen. Those molecules, some scientists think, eventually linked up to form RNA, a molecular player long credited as essential for lifes dawn. In short, the stage for lifes emergence was set almost as soon as our planet was born.