T i d e s

Samuel Wat

Introduction:

The Earth's tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon. The Earth bulges slightly both toward and away from the Moon. As the Earth rotates daily, the bulges move across the Earth. Since the Earth's water is more fluid than the land, it bulges slightly

more, resulting in high tides. Look at it this way. If you where at the center of a large mass inspace. You would be pulled towards it. If you where to get inside of it and travel to the center you would be pulled equally in every direction. You would then be weightless. This point is the gravitational center of the object we will now call earth. Now since the other object, the moon also pulls on us we would no longer be weightless at the center of the earth, although it would be extremely small the moon would be pulling on us. As we moved toward the moon we would no longer be at the center of the earths gravitational pull so it would start to pull on us. Once you reach a point where the pull of the earth is now countering the pull of the moon then you would again be weightless. This point exist in real life inside the earth closer tothe surface than the true center of the earth. You must remember that even though the moons pull on you is small the force excerted on the earth is much larger because the earth is much larger.

Types:

Spring Tide- A tide higher than normal which occurs around the time of the new and full moon. This is the time of the highest high tide and the lowest low tide on certain parts of the world. Creating a cool mini dooms day on a certain point on the Earth. Happens only in some parts during the 1st half of the year.
Neap Tide - A tide that occurs during the first and last quarter phases of the moon in which the water level is lower than normal on certain parts of the world. Occurs partly only during the second half of the year.
High Tide - High tide is the time of high water. High tides occur when the gravitational attraction of the moon causes the ocean to bulge out in the direction of the moon.
Low Tides - The point of a tide when the water is the lowest. The opposite of high tide.

Website made for Peabody school 8th grade science class of 08'

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