What Causes the Tides?

What causes the water on Earth to "bulge"?

• Sun and Moon

• Earth rotating

Which best explains what a high tide is?

• the water increases in an amount along the shoreline

• the spot that you are on has rotated into the tidal bulge

What fraction of the tidal change is caused by the Moon's gravity?

• 1/3

• 2/3

The phase change of the Moon cause the tidal bulge to increase or decrease.

• True

• False

Which of the following best explains what really causes the higher tidal change?

• The full moon that you see in the sky.

• The alignment of the Sun and Moon in relationship to Earth

Which statement describes when you would have the lowest tidal change?

• When the Sun and Moon form a right angle in relationship to Earth.

• When there is not a full moon

Why is it so easy for the Moon's gravity to affect our tides?

• Since water is a liquid it is easier to move/flow in the direction being pulled.

• Since water is so abundant on Earth it can flow in many place when the Moon is full.

What causes the tidal bulge to not exactly line up with the Moon's gravitational pull?

• Earth's rotation

• The Sun when not lined up with the Moon.

Oh snap! Not only does the tidal bulge and Moon's gravity give us a tidal change it also ....

• gives us the leap year

• makes the Earth's rotation slow down

A mollusk, like a snail, helps to show scientist about tidal changes because of

• specific structures in their body

• they have to move in and out of the water