Earth's Formation Quick Check
Which allowed scientists to determine that Earth was at least 4.3 billion years old?(1 point)
Responses
the electrical conductivity of uranium ions
the electrical conductivity of uranium ions
magnetic field surrounding zircon
magnetic field surrounding zircon
chemical reactivity of zircon ions
chemical reactivity of zircon ions
the radioactive decay of uranium to lead
Sure, I can help you with a quick check on Earth's formation. What would you like to know?
Sure, I can help you with that. Here is a step-by-step guide to the formation of Earth:
1. Nebula: About 4.6 billion years ago, a massive cloud of gas and dust, called a nebula, existed in space.
2. Gravity: Gravity caused the nebula to collapse in on itself, forming a spinning disk shape, with most of the matter concentrated in the center.
3. Protostar Formation: The dense center of the collapsing nebula gave rise to a protostar, which eventually became our Sun. The heat and pressure at the core ignited nuclear fusion, leading to the birth of our star.
4. Accretion: As the spinning disk of the nebula continued to contract, smaller particles of dust and gas collided, merging to form planetesimals (small rocky bodies).
5. Protoplanets: As planetesimals continued to collide and merge, larger bodies formed known as protoplanets, which eventually coalesced to form the terrestrial (rocky) planets, including Earth.
6. Differentiation: As Earth grew and heated up, it underwent a process called differentiation. The denser materials sank towards the core, forming the metallic iron-nickel core, while lighter materials rose to the surface, forming a thin crust.
7. Formation of Atmosphere: Outgassing, or the release of gases from Earth's interior, contributed to the formation of a primitive atmosphere, rich in water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases.
8. Water Delivery: Comets and asteroids bombarded the young Earth, delivering water and organic molecules necessary for the origin of life.
9. Continuous Change: Earth continued to experience geological processes such as plate tectonics, volcanic activity, erosion, and the cycling of elements, leading to the planet's current state.
This step-by-step guide provides an overview of the formation of Earth. If you have any specific questions or need more information on any of the steps, feel free to ask!