Skip to main content

AGE OF TREE, ROCK, EARTH, SUN AND UNIVERSE

 



 Cut the trunk of a age old tree.  We can see number of rings in the cross section.  Each ring is formed during a year.  The count of rings gives the age of tree.

      Earth rock and meteorites that has fallen on the earth has a composition of potassium-40 and organ-40.  Potassium is the radioactive element.  It emits radiation and decays into organ.  Radioactivity never stops.  The original potassium atoms are slowly converted into organ.  By counting the number of radioactive potassium atoms and stable organ atoms, one can estimate the age of rock using this formula.

 N = n*e^(-R*T)

 N - number of radioactive atoms at present (potassium)
n- Number of radioactive atoms during the formation of        rock(potassium + organ)
R - Radioactive constant of potassium
T - Age , time elapsed since the formation of rock.
e - Maths constant

      This is called radiometric dating.  Since the rock belongs to earth, it will give the age of earth.  The meteorite will give the age of solar system.  The age of earth and solar system is same and it is 4.56 billion years.

      Big bang theory says ; entire universe was contained in a tiny atom.  At one fine moment, it exploded.  The matters were thrown out and almost the entire universe was created in a few minutes after the big bang.  The stars and galaxies formed during the explosion continue to move apart and consequently the universe continue to expand even today.  Using the rate of expansion at present, we can estimate the age of universe.(the velocity of moving star is determined using Doppler shift in spectrum)  The age is 13.77, error 0.059 billion years.

 Post script:  "Suppose a 'man' observes our earth from distant galaxy", he will not be seeing the modern man holding the smart phone.  He may see the first world war or even dinosaurs moving about.  Because he will be receiving that scene today even at light speed.  So universe is a kind of "time machine".  

Labels

Labels:

Comments

  1. Jyotirmoy Sarkar18 April 2017 at 21:35

    Very nice post Sir, loved reading it.
    and yes...the stars we see in the sky some are already destroyed long years ago and the light from them still coming to earth.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Your heart -you do not know

  Size and Location: The human heart is roughly the size of a clenched fist and is located slightly to the left of the center of the chest. Despite its relatively small size, the heart plays a crucial role in pumping blood throughout the entire body. Heartbeat Variability: The heart does not beat at a constant rate. The interval between heartbeats can vary, and this variability is considered a sign of a healthy heart. Factors such as breathing, emotions, and physical activity influence the heartbeat. Electrical Conduction: The heart's contractions are controlled by electrical impulses. The sinoatrial (SA) node, often called the "natural pacemaker," generates electrical signals that regulate the heartbeat and coordinate the pumping of blood. Blood Pumping Capacity: On average, the human heart pumps about 2,000 gallons (or 7,570 liters) of blood each day. Over a lifetime, this amounts to pumping enough blood to fill several Olympic-sized swimming pools. Heart Chambers and V...
Post a Comment
Read more

THE WORK HORSE "="

    One cannot think of  a mathematical step without 'is equal to ' .  It balances right hand side and left hand side.  It aids simplification and manipulation of a mathematical expression. example: 2(A+B)  = C 2A+2B  = C         2A = C-2B           A = C-2B/ 2   In an electronic calculator,  the pressing of ' = " sign executes an asthmatic expression  or simply calculates.       In computer languages, it plays very important role.                                                                 A = B   When a computer looks at this expression, the value stored in the location named B is just transferred to the storage named A .  After execution both A and B will have the same value an...
Post a Comment
Read more

How does your smart phone detect motion, steps, rotation, and location?

 How it works-1  An accelerometer in a smartphone is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device that measures acceleration and tilt. It works by detecting changes in motion by measuring the vibration or acceleration of the device. The accelerometer consists of a small mass suspended on a spring inside a sealed chamber. When the device is subjected to acceleration, the mass moves relative to the device, causing a change in capacitance that can be measured and processed by the smartphone's hardware. The accelerometer measures acceleration in three dimensions (x, y, and z) and provides data that the smartphone's software can use to determine the device's orientation, detect motion, and track changes in velocity and acceleration. The accelerometer is used for a variety of purposes in a smartphone, including screen rotation, motion tracking for games and fitness apps, and detecting the position of the device for navigation and location services. Additionally, it can be used t...
Post a Comment
Read more