Final answer:
The claim that Earth is 14.6 billion years old is false. The scientifically accepted age of Earth is between 4.4 and 4.57 billion years, based on radiometric dating and the age of the oldest rocks and minerals found on Earth.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that Earth is probably 14.6 billion years old is false. Current scientific consensus, based on extensive research and radiometric dating, estimates that the Earth is about 4.5 to 4.6 billion years old.
This age falls in the range determined from dating the oldest rocks and minerals found on Earth, as well as the estimated age of the solar system.
The oldest rock minerals, such as tiny crystals found in Australia, have been dated to be at least 4.404 billion years old. Geologists and Earth scientists conclude that the Earth is not older than the solar system, the oldest estimated age of which is 4.57 billion years.
Therefore, the span of geologic time in which Earth has existed is between 4.4 and 4.57 billion years.