How do scientists use relative and absolute dating and the geologic time scale to organize Earth's 4.6-billion-year-old history?

Answer:

Scientists organize Earth's 4.6-billion-year history by combining relative dating (ordering rock layers via superposition) and absolute dating (numeric ages via radiometric decay). This data is used to construct the geologic time scale, dividing time into eons, eras, periods, and epochs to map major geological and evolutionary events.