The Gravitational Pull and Earth's Tides

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What is the force that changes the levels of the oceans known as?

tidal force

What are the deformations of a body stemming from tidal forces called?

tides

What can tidal forces cause besides changing the levels of the oceans?

mountains to rise and fall, distort galaxies, and pull a person apart as they fall into a black hole

What are the three elements that interact to cause Earth-based tides?

sun, moon, and gravity Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference in the strength of gravity between two points on a body technically known as?

tidal force Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of tidal forces on the oceans?

changing the levels of the oceans Signup and view all the answers

What is the cause of the bulges in the Earth's oceans during tides?

The gravitational pull of the moon and the sun. Signup and view all the answers

Why does the moon's gravity affect the Earth's oceans more than it affects an individual's body?

The moon's gravity affects the oceans more because they are larger in size compared to an individual's body. Signup and view all the answers

What are the bulges of water on the side of the Earth facing the moon called?

Tidal bulges. Signup and view all the answers

How many times do tides normally rise and fall in 24 hours?

Tides normally rise and fall twice in 24 hours. Signup and view all the answers

What causes spring tides and neap tides?

Spring tides are caused by the additive effect of the tidal bulges produced by the sun and moon aligning at full and new moon. Neap tides are caused by the sun and moon pulling at right angles to each other. Signup and view all the answers

What causes the slight time difference between the occurrence of tidal bulges and the moon's position?

The interactions between the Earth's rotation, friction with ocean beds, and the moon cause the tidal bulges to be slightly ahead in time compared to the moon's position. Signup and view all the answers

What causes tides on Earth?

The interactions between the Earth, moon, and sun cause tides on Earth. The moon's gravitational pull creates a bulge of water on the near side of the Earth, while the sun also contributes to the tides, particularly during spring tide and neap tide. Signup and view all the answers

What is a tidal force?

A tidal force is the difference in the strength of gravity between two points on a body. It is responsible for the deformations or bulges in a body caused by the gravitational influence of another celestial body, such as the moon or sun. Signup and view all the answers

How does the moon's gravitational influence on Earth vary?

The moon's gravitational influence on Earth is not uniform. It pulls more strongly on the near side of the Earth than it does on the center, and less strongly on the far side. This difference in gravitational pull causes the oceans to bulge on the near side and on the opposite side of the Earth. Signup and view all the answers

What are spring tides?

Spring tides are low tides that are very low and high tides that are very high. They occur during full and new moon when the gravitational forces of the moon and sun align. Signup and view all the answers

What are neap tides?

Neap tides are unusually weak ocean tides. They occur during first- or third-quarter moon when the gravitational forces of the moon and sun partially cancel each other out. Signup and view all the answers