Question

How does the movement of the moon and the gravitional pull of the earth affect tides ??

Answer 1

Dear student.

Tides are the alternating pattern of rise and fall of sea levels with respect to the ground. It is caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun and the rotation of the Earth on its own axis. Since the Earth spins on its own axis therefore the ocean water is held at equal levels around the planet due to the Earth's gravity that pulls inward and the centrifugal force that push it in outward direction.

Though, the Moon's gravitational force is strong enough to interrupt the balance of the ocean water by accelerating the water towards itself and this causes the water to bulge. Therefore, as the Moon orbits the Earth and as our planet rotates, the bulge also progresses. The region of the Earth wherever the bulging takes place experiences a high tide and the other regions experience a low tide.

The same forces acts as the Earth revolves around the Sun that is the gravitational force of Sun pulls ocean water toward the Sun but at the same time the centrifugal force of the collective Earth-Sun revolution cause the water on the opposite side of Earth to bulge away from it. As the tides are subjected by both the Moon and the Sun therefore it is easy to see that when the Sun lines up with the Moon and the Earth as seen during the New Moon or Full Moon, the tidal effect is amplified.

Regards.