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Are tides influenced more by gravitational pull of the moon or sun?
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
The primary gravitational influence for tides is the moon. The sun's influence is smaller. Earth's tides can be be imagined as a large swell of water chasing after the moon with a corresponding low tide on either side of the high tide and another high tide peaking at 180 degrees or 12 hours difference. The reason why some locations on Earth have marvelous differences in high and low tide has more to do with the way water flows than with how lunar gravitational pull. You'll notice that a wide open coast line will have smaller changes in the high/low cycle, but bays and ports with narrow channels to the ocean or large waterways like rivers and streams can often have dramatic tidal changes of up to tens of feet. One other quick note: our moon is not always the same distance from the Earth. When the moon's orbit takes it closer to the planet, the gravitational forces are greater therefore the tides will have larger variation.
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The Moon's effect on the tides is greater than the Sun's. Spring tides occur when the two effects add up, around New Moon and Full Moon, when the forces line up with one another.
This is true despite the Sun's gravity being stronger than the Moon's, at the surface of the Earth. This is because the Moon is closer so that its gravitational pull in stronger on the side of the Earth closer to the Moon, and weaker on the opposite side. With the Sun being much further away the difference is smaller from one side of the Earth to the other.
The differential force is called the tidal force, and if a planet were to go too close to the Sun, the tidal force would cause it to break up.
Sherwood Ritchie
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoThe gravitation pull from the Moon is greater, as the Moon is closer to the Earth than the Sun.
Some tides for example spring tides occur when the Sun, Moon, and Earth form a line. Then the tidal force due to the sun reinforces that due to the Moon. The tide's range is then at its maximum.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agothe sun
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Why does the moon influence tides more then the sun?
Because, although the moon's gravitational pull is much, much weaker than the sun's, the moon's gravitational pull is about 375 times closer to us than the sun's.
Why are high tides higher and low tides lower during spring tides?
Spring tides are higher than other tides because of the constructive interference of Sun and Moon bulges that occurs when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are aligned.
Does the moon affect the sea's tide?
Yes, the moon has a lot of affect on the sea'a tides. This is due to the gravitational pull. The moon has a lot more affect on the tides than the sun does. This is due to the moon being much closer to the earth than the sun.
What planetary body has more influence on earths tides and why?
The moon. Tides are caused by differential difference in distance between the near and far side of the planet - not in the strength of the gravitational field itself. Thus we orbit the sun, but the moon is the major factor in the tides.
How does the sun affect earths tides?
The Moon affects the tides of this planet, much more than the Sun. It is the gravitational pull of those masses in space which pull the water of the oceans from the Earth and the Earth from the water. (There IS a tidal bulge on the same side as the Moon AND on the opposite side! And smaller ones towards and away from the Sun).
What is the face of the moon when spring tide?
Spring tides are especially strong tide(they do not have anything to do w/ the Season Spring). They occur when the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon are in a line. The Gravitational forces of the tides. Spring tides occur during the full moon and the new moon.For more information visit the link below.Thank you!
Why are there no tides at the equator?
Average temperature: 60 degrees F
Does the sun or moon have more affect on tides?
The moon affects the tides more than the sun.
What effect does global warming have on the tides?
Global warming will not affect the tides, which are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon. There will be more water in the oceans, of course, so a high tide will be higher than before.
What tides are on the moon?
The correct term is tides 'from' the moon. All major objects in space have a gravitational pull. The moon, being close to the Earth, has a major gravitational pull on the Earth's water. This is called a tide. The tides can go up and down depending on how far or close the moon is and the rotation of the Earth. Also, the tides are usually scheduled on a time basis.
Why do the Moon's gravity have a greater effect on earths ocean tides than the suns gravity?
Even though the suns gravitational pull is stronger than the moons and does infact effect the tides slightly, the moon is close enough to pull the tides more than the sun. Its all distance related.
How are earth's tides caused by the moon?
As the moon passes over the Earth, since it has it's own gravitational pull, it slightly lessens the force of the gravity on the Earth. The lessened gravity when the moon is over the oceans causes the ocean's surface to rise, so the tide goes in.
