Question about Tides, and the Moon's Gravitational Pull.?

Question

I don't know if mah teachers ever told me this, if they did, I rarely listen. You know how tides go higher up on the beach when it's high tide, or vice versa on low tide? Well yeah, I know why, Gravitational pull from the moon! (Even if that is the wrong answer, I don't care, that's not the point =p)

But where does the water go when it's low tide or high tide? It can't just go no where. I have just been thinking about it latley, and since I'm not in school I can't ask my science teacher! Heh :D

Thanks

-Jolt459

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Water doesn’t “go” anywhere. It stays always in the oceans.

What happens is that the gravity from the moon pulls up the water wherever the moon is (directly under it), but if you have seen how water works, if you have a hose full of water, make a “U” shape with the hose, and suck water form one side, the opposite side will go lower because the water follows the path.

So the same happens on the oceans, as it goes up on one side of the planet, it goes down on the other.

But, and this is important, is not really like that either. Because of gravity and also centrifuge forces (Earth is spinning as you should know), water balances itself over the oceans, ending on a peculiar shape: water will rise under the Moon, and also at the opposite side of Earth, while it will go down on each side.

So if the moon is over the East Coast of the US, then you get High Tide there, and also around Japan while getting low levels on the Pacific and over the Mediterranean and close by seas.

This is only an example, so you can picture it better. You can search online for “moon tides” to get a better explanation with pictures.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thanks.

Answer 2

The sea isn't flat! The sea bulges out towards the moon (and the sun) due to the gravitational pull. The water goes into making these bulges.

Answer 3

I live nr cromer and when it is high tide there a lot further round the coast is it low tide so it evens itself out all the time. This is probably not the correct answer but so long as we keep dry thats all that matters!!!!!!!!

Answer 4

When you tip a bowl of water it rises on one side and falls on the other. The same is happening with the tides, which are really huge oscillations. meaning when the tide is high at one place it is low somewhere else. The moon drives the tides but if the moon disappeared tomorrow, the tides would still operate for a long time before they damped down.

Answer 5

As the earth turns there is always a side pointing towards the moon-so therefor there is always a high tide somewhere on the earth. The best way to think of it is to think of a glass half full of water and tilted at an angle of approximately 30 degrees, keeping the glass at this angle and pointing it at the same place twist it. You will notice that the part of the glass that the water was nearest the rim has now moved and that the water is further away from the rim, but there is still the same amount of water in the glass. The same is true to the earth. It is the earth that moves not the water.

Answer 6

OK imagine no moon and a perfectly spherical Earth, uniformly covered in ocean water. The depth would be constant due to gravitational symmetry. Now introduce the Moon (ignore the Sun for the moment).Also forget for the moment the effect of the rotation of the Earth and the orbit of the Moon. Due to the force of gravity of the Moon on the side of the Earth facing the Moon the waters being non rigid rise up a bit. On the opposite side of the Earth the waters bulge away from the Earth, since being more distant, the attractive force on them is reduced due to the distance of the Earth's diameter. As a result the shape of the ocean surface is an ellipsoid, pointing towards the Moon with the total volume of water being conserved. If you factor in the effect of the Sun's gravity, the rotation of the Moon, the tilt of the Earth and friction due to the ocean basins, basically you get a tidal system with a diurnal period of about 12.5hours(advancing an hour per day), with seasonal highs and lows depending on the alignment of the Sun, Earth and Moon. Also because the gravitational force is inverse square, the difference between the distances can be shown to be the inverse cube of the distance to which the tidal force is proportional.

Source(s):

life's a beach, then the tide comes in..bit sad to be studying science during summer vacs?!

Answer 7

Not only the moon and sun, all planet in solar make effect on water level. But strongest is Moon, cause of nearest distance, then Sun, cause of biggest size. Both of them are parameter of gravity expression. Besides the sea current makes effect too.

Answer 8

Ok - The gravitational pull of the moon and, to a lesser extent, the sun on the earth form bulges of water in the oceans. The earth spins relative to these bulges resulting in the changes in sea level that we see. Not easy to visualise from words so go to the link. There is an excellent animation there which explains the tides and the roll of the sun and moon in spring and neap tides.

Source(s):

http://www.onr.navy.mil/focus/ocean/moti…