HOW OLD IS THE EARTH??

Bishop James Ussher – 1581-1656

Used the Bible to estimate age of earth as approximately six

thousand years

What is the current estimate for the age of the earth??

a) 5 thousand years

b) 5 million years

c) 5 billion years

d) 5 trillion years

What is the current estimate for the age of the earth??

a) 5 thousand years

b) 5 million years

c) 5 billion years

d) 5 trillion years

(More precisely, about 4.6 billion years)

What does 4.6 billion really mean?? How far off was Bishop

Ussher’s 6000 year estimate?• Stack of 6000 pennies = 29 feet tall

• Stack of 4.6 billion pennies = ???

What does 4.6 billion really mean?? How far off was Bishop

Ussher’s 6000 year estimate?• Stack of 6000 pennies = 29 feet tall

• Stack of 4.6 billion pennies =

4200 MILES tall!!

What does 4.6 billion really mean?? How far off was Bishop

Ussher’s 6000 year estimate?• 6000 dollars = $100 a day for 60 days

• 4.6 billion dollars = ???

What does 4.6 billion really mean?? How far off was Bishop

Ussher’s 6000 year estimate?• 6000 dollars = $100 a day for 60 days

• 4.6 billion dollars = $100 per day for 126,000 YEARS!!

CONCLUSION:

THE EARTH IS VERY, VERY OLD!

This very long time allowslong-term, slow changes to

have major effects.For example:Tectonic plates move very slowly -about 2 centimeters per year.

In a billion years, a plate could move2 billion cm – that’s about 12,500 miles!!(halfway around the earth)

For example:Say a 10,000 foot high mountain loses 1/8 inch in height each year due to weathering.

In a MILLION years, 10,410 feet would have worn away - the mountain would be completely gone.

In a BILLION years, a mountain 1000 times as tall would be completely worn away!!

Next – Timeline Activity to get a better idea

of what was going on during this very,

very long time.