If Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old,estimate the order of magnitude for the number of times it has rotated about its own axis.(Assume a constant rate of rotation.)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Given that Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old and assuming a constant rate of rotation with about 365.25 days per year, we can estimate the number of rotations (days) as follows: 4.5 billion years * 365.25 days/year = 1.64 * 10^9 * 365.25 ≈ 6 * 10^11. This calculation puts the order of magnitude for the number of times Earth has rotated about its own axis at 10^12, which corresponds to choice D (10^12).

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