Which type of data from Table 1 provides the best evidence that Earth formed along with the rest of the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago? The moon and Earth formed at appro... Which type of data from Table 1 provides the best evidence that Earth formed along with the rest of the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago? The moon and Earth formed at approximately the same time. Use information from Table 1 and your knowledge of Earth's geologic processes to explain why the moon has millions of craters while the Earth only has 128. Zircon is one of the oldest minerals found in Earth's crust. Zircon crystals contain atoms of Uranium-235. Over time, Uranium-235 decays into Lead-207. Because the amount of time it takes Uranium-235 to decay is known, zircon acts like a time signature of geological events including crust formation.
Understand the Problem
The questions are asking for data interpretation from a table regarding Earth's formation and geological processes, as well as the reasoning for the difference in craters between the Moon and Earth. It also involves understanding the significance of zircon minerals in geological dating.
Answer
The age of the oldest mineral on Earth, Mars, and the Moon.
The final answer is the age of the oldest mineral on Earth, Mars, and the Moon.
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is the age of the oldest mineral on Earth, Mars, and the Moon.
More Information
Zircon crystals are used in radiometric dating to determine the Earth's age. Their decay from Uranium-235 to Lead-207 provides a time signature back billions of years.
Tips
A common mistake is assuming crater count is related to age; however, geological processes like erosion on Earth remove craters.
Sources
- HS-ESS1-6 Earth's Place in the Universe - nextgenscience.org
- How the Earth and moon formed, explained - UChicago News - news.uchicago.edu
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