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It's quite simple really.

What happens to something when it dies? It decomposes, right?

This doesn't just apply to living things though. It applies to all atoms.

All atoms give off radiation even in small amounts. This is referred to as radioactive decay.

This happens at a set rate. It is not affected by gravity, or any of the other basic forces. It's not a guess, it's a fact.

By measuring the amount of radioactive decay and object has, you can get an estimate of how old that object is.

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Q: How did geologists know that earth and the solar system are approximately 4.6 billion years old?
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Related questions

How old do geologists think the earth is?

Geologists and other related Earth scientists have estimated the age of the Earth to be approximately 4.65 Billion years old based on a wide variety of scientific experiments and data.


Is earth approximately 4600 years old?

The earth is approximately 6000 years old according to the Bible. Most geologists think that the earth is about 4.3 billion years old. You are free to accept whatever approach suits you.


If approximately how old is the earth?

Modern geologists and geophysicists consider the age of the Earth to be around 4.54 billion years old. This age has been determined by radiometric age dating of meteorite material and is consistent with the ages of the oldest-known terrestrial and lunar samples.


When was planet Earth first found?

The earth, along with the rest of the solar system, was formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago.


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4.6 billion years


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In science class I learned that earth is approximately 4.6 billion years old.


When will the earth turn 7 billion years old?

The Earth is currently 4.5 billion years, so in approximately 2.5 billion years time.


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Earth is approximately 4.6 billion years old.


When do astronomers blieve the solar system was formed?

By studying rocks from Earth, from the Moon and meteorites it is believed that the age of the Solar System is approximately 4.6 billion years old.


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It's really just four and a half billion years old according to the most recent measurements by geologists. The entire universe is about 13.7 Billion years old.


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