Gravity & Tides
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How can we develop and use models to construct explanations for how gravity affects the motion of objects in the Solar System and tides on Earth?
The Moon’s gravitational pull on the Earth and the Earth’s rotational force are the two main factors that cause high and low tides. The gravitational attraction of the Sun also plays a small role in the formation of tides. Tides move around the Earth as bulges in the ocean. Most shorelines experience two high and two low tides within a twenty-four-hour period, though some areas have just one of each. Tides affect marine ecosystems by influencing the kinds of plants and animals that thrive in what is known as the intertidal zone—the area between high and low tide. Predicting tides is very important for shipping and travel across oceans. Ships decide which channels they may navigate by calculating their own weight, the depth of the ocean and an area’s tidal range.
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