Tag Archives: generations after 0 AD

Problem 1-30: The number of generations passed since the year 0 AD

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PROBLEM:

A generation is about one-third of a lifetime. Approximately how many generations have passed since the year 0 AD?

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SOLUTION:

We are looking for generations passed in history. The general assumptions are:

  • There are 1011 seconds in 1 history
  • In 1 generation, there is 1/3 of a lifetime.
  • In half a lifetime, there are 109 seconds

Therefore, the number of generations passed is

1 history=1 history×1011 sec1 history×1 generation13 lifetime×0.5 lifetime109 sec=150 generations  (Answer)\begin{align*} 1\ \text{history} & =1\:\text{history}\times \frac{10^{11}\:\text{sec}}{1\:\text{history}}\times \frac{1\:\text{generation}}{\frac{1}{3}\:\text{lifetime}}\times \frac{0.5\:\text{lifetime}}{10^9\:\text{sec}} \\ & =150\:\text{generations} \ \qquad \ \color{DarkOrange} \left( \text{Answer} \right) \end{align*}
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