Final answer:
In the geological time scale, the eras from most recent to oldest are the Cenozoic era, Mesozoic era, Palaeozoic era, and Precambrian time.
Step-by-step explanation:
The geological time scale divides Earth's history into manageable segments such as eons, eras, periods, epochs, and ages. This system allows scientists to organize Earth's past based on significant geological, climatic, and biological events. To answer the student's question about ranking the eras from most recent to oldest, we would list them as follows:
- Cenozoic era (1 - Most recent)
- Mesozoic era (2)
- Palaeozoic era (3)
- Precambrian time (4 - Oldest)
The Precambrian time represents a vast majority of Earth's history and includes the Hadean, Archean, and Proterozoic eons. It is followed by the Palaeozoic era, succeeded by the Mesozoic era, and finally the Cenozoic era, which is the current era we are in.