explain why the moon is the primary influence on tides.?

Question

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Answer 1

Both the Sun and the Moon influence our tides, but the Moon influences them more because the Moon is closer to Earth. The tides are actually caused by the *difference* in gravitational force from the Moon on the opposite sides of Earth - the side of Earth closer to the Moon is pulled more strongly than the side of Earth farther away. The Sun is 400 times farther away from Earth than the Moon is. So the *difference* in distance between one side of Earth to the other relative to the distance to the Sun is small, while the *difference* in distance between one side of Earth to the other relative to the distance to the Moon is larger. Thus the Moon's tidal force on Earth is stronger than the Sun's tidal force on Earth.

Answer 2

First responder is not correct; the sun influences tides also. But the moon influences them more because it is much closer. The tides arise, not directly from the moon's gravity, but because that gravity differs somewhat between the side of the earth nearest the moon and the side farthest away. Gravitational attraction goes as 1/r^2, but tides go as the space derivative of this, i.e. 1/r^3.

Answer 3

The moon's gravity pulls on the Earth, causing the water to rise on both sides of the Earth, and fall in between. The moon's gravity is the reason we have the tides.

Answer 4

Good Q! I'm flagging this Q to my watchlist b/c I want to see the answers, too.

I wonder too, how is it gravity has an obvious attractive quality over large distances? Yet we have no means of measuring gravity except when using a separate item and then only in it's relation to another gravitational body. I.e., Water and Moon. We could simply call this attraction of gravity weight, but weight, while affected by gravity on Earth true enough, could also be labeled as an attraction, and yet neither is gravity. Science states gravity is not the same as attraction, as attraction is not the same as weight. We can produce and measure actual strengths of microwaves, magnetism, light, temperature, and radio and TV waves. Each item distinct from, and mostly each unaffected by, the others. Why, then, can we measure gravity's effect precisely, yet not measure gravity itself? I believe if we could understand how to simply measure gravity we could then learn how to manipulate it. Which begs the Q; Could this have already been done?? And I'll save my space travel-UFO rant for another area.

Answer 5

It is the only gravitational influence on the tides.