If the moon were covered with water tidal effects by Earth would find the moon with three tidal budges or no tidal budges or two tidal budges or four tidal budges or one tidal budge?

Answer 1

There are two tidal bulges; one on the side of the Earth closest to the Moon, and one directly on the opposite side.

The explanation is a little tricky. We think of the Earth as following its own orbital path around the Sun, and the Moon orbiting the Earth. But this isn't exactly true. Because the Moon is so large, it's almost like two planets that orbit each other rather than moon orbiting the parent body.

Because water is a liquid and every water molecule is free to move, we can think of the oceans of the Earth as trying to orbit the Moon. The Earth has a radius of about 4000 miles or 6400 km. All of the water molecules on the Moon side of the Earth are in too low an orbit - by 4000 miles - for their speed, and they should fall into a closer orbit toward the Moon. (The Earth's gravity prevents them from going very far, but the effect is there. ) On the side away from the Moon, every water molecule is in too HIGH an orbit, and is moving too fast - and the water tries to rise into its "proper" higher orbit.

Of course, the Earth's gravity is so much greater, because the Earth is much larger than the moon and much closer - but the gravitational pull of the Moon (and to a lesser extent, the Sun) is what causes tides on BOTH sides of the Earth.