Which factor does not affect the daily patterns of the tides that you would witness at a coastal location?

Question

a. Natural fluctuations in the sun’s mass
b. Location of continents
c. Declination
d. Elliptical orbit of the earth around the sun
e. Friction with the seafloor

Answer 1

Right off the bat, declination and the Earth's elliptical orbit have a definite influence on the tides. The location and geography of landmasses are also key to tidal behavior. But the mass of the Sun doesn't have natural fluctuations that affect tides, so the answer is a). (The Sun does fluctuate, but those fluctuations have to do primarily with its magnetic field and, to a lesser extent, its temperature.)