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TIDES. How tides relate to the gravitational pull and orbit of the moon. A tide is the rise and fall of the ocean’s surface caused mainly by the moon’s gravitational pull on Earth. The Earth has a gravitational pull on the moon and the moon has a gravitational pull on Earth.
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TIDES How tides relate to the gravitational pull and orbit of the moon
A tide is the rise and fall of the ocean’s surface caused mainly by the moon’s gravitational pull on Earth.
The Earth has a gravitational pull on the moon and the moon has a gravitational pull on Earth. • Because the Earth is more massive, it has a greater pull of gravity that keeps the moon revolving around the Earth. • The moon’s weaker pull affects the Earth by causing tides.
The moon’s pull of gravity on the side of the Earth facing the moon makes the easily movable waters of the oceans on that side bulge out toward the moon. • This bulge is called high tide.
At the same time, another high tide is formed on the opposite side because this is the furthest point from the moon where the gravitational pull is the weakest on Earth, creating another high tide.
The water that is drawn in to make the bulge at these two points comes from the remaining water at the opposite points on Earth. • These lower levels are called low tides.
Because of the Earth’s rotation every 24 hours, the Earth has two high tides every 24 hours at different points on Earth. • Every point on Earth experiences two high tides and two low tides every 24 hours. • Because the moon rises about 50 minutes later each day, high tide and low tide change times each day.
