It is essential for students to know that tides and planetary orbits are caused by the pull of gravity.
Effects of Gravity on Tides
The Moon being closer to Earth than the Sun (distance) has the greatest pulling effect on tides, the rise and fall of ocean water in this case.
The Sun also pulls on Earth and can combine its force with the Moon causing even higher tides, spring tides or can be a right angles, pulling against the Moon’s pull, causing very little tidal change, neap tides.
Effects of Gravity on Planetary Orbits
The Sun’s gavitational attraction, along with the planet’s inertia (continual forward motion), keeps the planets moving in elliptical orbits (Earth’s orbit is slightly oval) and determines how fast they orbit.
Planets nearer the Sun move/orbit faster than planets farther from the Sun because the gravitational attraction is greater.
When a planet is farther from the Sun, the gravitational attraction between them decreases and the planet moves/orbits slower.
Effects of Gravity on Tides
The Moon being closer to Earth than the Sun (distance) has the greatest pulling effect on tides, the rise and fall of ocean water in this case.
The Sun also pulls on Earth and can combine its force with the Moon causing even higher tides, spring tides or can be a right angles, pulling against the Moon’s pull, causing very little tidal change, neap tides.
Effects of Gravity on Planetary Orbits
The Sun’s gavitational attraction, along with the planet’s inertia (continual forward motion), keeps the planets moving in elliptical orbits (Earth’s orbit is slightly oval) and determines how fast they orbit.
Planets nearer the Sun move/orbit faster than planets farther from the Sun because the gravitational attraction is greater.
When a planet is farther from the Sun, the gravitational attraction between them decreases and the planet moves/orbits slower.