HOW OLD IS THE EARTH??

Bishop James Ussher – 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 allows long-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 move 2 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.