3.4.e Tides Test Review

3.4.e Tides Test Review

I can explain how different positions of the Earth, Moon and Sun affect the tides (daily changes in the shoreline).

The Causes of the Tides

• The gravitational pull of the Moon causes water to form 2 bulges

• One bulge is directly under the Moon.

• The second bulge is on the opposite side of the Earth.

• These bulges are the HIGH TIDES.

• Low tides occur at 90° angle from high tides, where water is lowest.

Multiple Choice

What causes high tides?

• Gravitational Pull of the Earth

• Gravitational Pull of the Moon

• Gravitational Pull of Mars

• Gravitational Pull of the Sun

Multiple Choice

Look at the images to the left. Both pictures show the exact same place, just hours apart. What is happening in the top image?

• Drought

• High Tide

• Low Tide

• Tsunami

Spring & Neap Tides

The Sun plays a role in affecting how large the tidal range is on any given day.

The Sun's gravitational pull is weaker than the Moon's, but it can help the Moon pull high tide higher OR it can cause some water to flow away from the high tide.

Spring and Neap Tides

Spring tides occur when the Sun and Moon both pull on high tides, causing extreme tide differences.

Neap tides occur when the Sun and Moon form a right angle, pulling on different tides. This reduces the tide differences.

Spring Tides

During the New and Full Moon phases, the Sun and Moon are aligned. They both pull on the high tides, making them higher than normal. With most water moving into the high tides, low tides are lower than normal.

So Spring Tides have extreme differences between high and low tides.

Neap Tides

During the First and Last Quarter Moon phases, the Sun and Moon form a right angle. The Moon pulls on high tide (as always) while the Sun pulls on low tide. The Sun's pull causes some water from the high tides to move to the low tides.

As a result, Neap tides have less change between high and low tides.

This chart shows the tidal ranges and lunar phases for Spring Tides (pink) and Neap tides (green).

Multiple Choice

During what phases of the Moon do Spring Tides occur?

• First Quarter and Full Moon

• First Quarter and Last Quarter

• Full Moon and Last Quarter

• Full Moon and New Moon

Multiple Select

Which of the following is True for Neap Tides? Select ALL that apply.

• Extreme tidal range

• Quarter Moon phases

• Sun, Moon, and Earth form a right angle

• Lowest tidal ranges

• Full and New Moon phases

Multiple Choice

Look at the image to the left. What kind of tide is occurring?

• Neap Tide

• Red Tide

• Spring Tide

• Tsunami Tide

Multiple Choice

Look at the image to the left. What kind of tide is occurring?

• Neap Tide

• Red Tide

• Spring Tide

• Tsunami Tide

Multiple Choice

What causes the tides?

• Interaction between the Sun, Earth, and Mars

• Interaction between the Moon, Earth, and Mercury

• Interaction between Earth, Mars, and Saturn

• Interaction between Earth, Moon, and Sun