Imagine the ocean is like a giant bathtub, and the Moon is like a big magnet in the sky! Tides are just the water in that giant bathtub going up and down twice a day. The Moon has a special pull called gravity that affects all the water on Earth.
Have you ever been to the beach and noticed that sometimes the water comes up really high and sometimes it goes way down low? That's called tides! Tides are the rising and falling of ocean water that happens twice every day all around the world. But what causes this amazing phenomenon? The answer is the Moon!
The Moon's gravity pulls on everything on Earth, including all the water in the oceans. This pull creates a bulge of water on the side of Earth facing the Moon. But surprisingly, there's another bulge on the opposite side! This happens because the Moon pulls the solid Earth more strongly than the water on the far side, leaving that water behind to bulge out too.
Now here's the cool part! Earth spins around once every twenty-four hours. As Earth rotates, different parts of our planet pass through the water bulges. When your part of Earth is in a bulge, you experience high tide! When you're between bulges, you experience low tide.
Here are some amazing tide facts! Most places on Earth have two high tides and two low tides every day. Tides happen about fifty minutes later each day because the Moon moves in its orbit too. The Sun also affects tides, but the Moon is much stronger because it's closer to Earth. Many sea creatures depend on tides to find food and move around. Now you know the secret of the tides!
Now here's the cool part! Earth spins around once every twenty-four hours. As Earth rotates, different parts of our planet pass through the water bulges. When your part of Earth is in a bulge, you experience high tide! When you're between bulges, you experience low tide.
The Sun also has gravity that pulls on Earth's water! But the Moon is much closer to Earth, so its pull is stronger for tides. When the Sun, Moon, and Earth line up, they work together to make super high tides and super low tides! These are called Spring Tides, and they happen about twice a month.
Let's review what we learned about tides! Tides are caused by the Moon's gravity pulling on ocean water. Earth has two water bulges that create high and low tides as our planet rotates. Most places have two high tides and two low tides every day. The Sun also affects tides, making them stronger when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are aligned. Many sea creatures depend on tides for finding food and moving around. Now you understand the amazing science of tides!