Tides

Question 1

What is a tide?

Answer 1

Tide refers to the rise and fall in sea levels caused by the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the Sun on the Earth as it rotates each day.

Question 2

The height of each tide is primarily affected by what?

Answer 2

By how close the Sun, moon and earth are to being on the same axis.

Atmospheric conditions and prevailing winds also affect the height of tides. 

Question 3

How many tides are there normally in each day?

Answer 3

2 high tides and 2 low tides.

The ocean is constantly moving from high tide, low tide, and then back to high tide .

There are about 12.5 hours between the two high tides.

Question 4

There are two types of tides, what are they?

Answer 4

1. Spring tides and
2. Neap tides

Question 5

When does spring tides occur?

Answer 5

Twice in each lunar month, when the Sun, moon and earth are aligned. This alignment allows the gravitational effect of the Sun and Moon to combine and cause the highest tides followed by the lowest tide is in the lunar month, producing the largest tidal range.

Question 6

When does neap tides occur?

Answer 6

When is the moon is furthest from being aligned with the Earth and sun at the point where it exerts the weakest possible effect on the tides. Consequently, neap tides have the smallest tidal range.

Question 7

True or false: during spring tides, the tidal flow is at its slowest

Answer 7

False: the tidal flow is at its fastest during spring tides.

Question 8

During neap tides the tidal flow is at its?

Answer 8

Slowest.

Neap tides occur when the moon is the furthest from being aligned with the Earth and sun at a point where it exerts the weakest possible effect on the time

Question 9

Tides are normally only discernible where?

Answer 9

The depth of water decreases close to land masses.