Lizzy Hows does the Tide work? Close Activity

TIDAL PHENOMENON

What is a Tide?

A tide is not just the rise and fall of ocean water.  Tide is the movement of water caused by

complex interactions between the  gravitational and rotational forces of the Earth,

Moon and Sun.

The combined forces cause the oceans to bulge out in the direction of the Moon.

 As the Earth rotates around its axis, the bulge is directly in line with the moon.

 The Earth rotates a few times faster than the water bulge, therefore the solid Earth moves

towards the water bulge.  Observing the tide from Earth, you might think that the

water goes to the Earth’s surface.  

When in fact it’s the Earth’s surface that meets the water bulge.

Now you know what tides are and how they occur.