Astronomy Practice Exam 2025 – Complete Preparation Guide

Question: 1 / 460

How does the moon influence the tides on Earth?

By creating atmospheric pressure

Through gravitational pulls

The moon influences the tides on Earth primarily through gravitational pulls. The gravitational force exerted by the moon on the Earth's oceans causes the water to bulge out in the direction of the moon. This results in a high tide on the side of the Earth that is facing the moon. Simultaneously, on the opposite side of the Earth, there is another high tide caused by the centrifugal force that occurs due to the Earth-moon system's rotation around their common center of mass. As the Earth rotates, these high and low tides occur roughly every six hours, creating a regular pattern of tidal movements.

The concept of atmospheric pressure, blocking sunlight, or the moon's orbital speed does not directly explain the mechanism behind tidal movements as clearly as gravitational pulls do. Gravitational forces are fundamentally responsible for the tidal effects we observe, making this the correct answer.

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By blocking sunlight

Through its orbital speed

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