high tide low tide??

[trix]

OK guys, iv got a question til put til ye's. iv been rackin ma brains for weeks, iv asked everyone that i know, nobody can tell me an i cana figure it oot.
i thot maybe ye's could help me.

right, here goes. i understand e moon controls e tides. i understand that if ye were standin on e moon lookin at e earth, ye would see a sort o swelling or bulging o e water pulling towards e moon. e water is folllowin e moon e whole time.

so when there is a high tide, e moon is directly above us. it takes approx 6 oers for e tide til go back oot then we hev a low tide and then approx 6 oers later its high again.
by this time e moon is directly below us. but if all e water is following e moon, how come we hev a high tide efter e moon has passed us and is in on e ither side o e world, 12 .5 oers later?

i just cana get ma heid aroond it.

to make things more confuddlin, e tide is higher in weik river when e moon is above australia than when e moon is above us!! but if all e water is followin e moon ye would think weik river would be nearly empty but its no!

will someone please put me oot ma misery??

[webmannie]

Never heard of google?

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question72.htm

[Stargazer]

Why are there two tides. It is because there are two forces at work. There is the straight forward gravitational force from the moon attracting the water on the Earths surface towards it. That explains one tide.


However, the tide on the other side of the Earth is a bit harder to explain.


The Earth does not carve out a nice circular orbit round the Sun. The Earth and the moon pirouette round each other so that an onlooker would see the Earths orbit round the sun as lots of little loops, one for each orbit of the moon. (27.3 days). So the Earth is rotating round an imaginary point in space caused by the relationship between the Earth and Moon. This rotation sets up a centrifugal force away from the Moon. So there is a force 'pushing' the water away from the moon, the other tide.


An analogy is two people spinning round each other on a dance floor. They don't fly apart because their hands are linked (gravity) but any loose clothing or jewellery will tend to fly outwards (centrifugal force)

[trix]

mmh...cheers stargazer. i sorto i get it - no, ats a lie, i still da know!
so even tho there is a pull o all e water on e earth til e moon, half gets pulled in e opposite direction??

and cheers til e webmannie for e google link ;) of course iv herd of google. iv been googlin e moon for months and months but i just ca get ma heid roond e two tides.
i thot it wis more til do wi balance or somethin, ma heid is minced wi it :confused:

[karia]

Hi trix,

I have the same problem with why we don't have opposable thumbs on our feet...I can live without the knowledge,..but hey, if you don't ask!;)

opposable thumbs anyone?

Karia

[trix]

hi karia :)
im sure wi e info that stargazer and e webmannie gave me it will all click into place - eventually.
ma heid is so full o ither aspects o astrology ifanow, and numerology, and no til mention ma new tarot spread that am learnin! ma heid is muzzed.
i just da think there is any more room ifanow!!
think il chill oot wi a gless o vino for a whilie ;)
rest ma brain...

[Stargazer]

Hi Trix

Now that I have read my own explanation from a few hours ago I think your answer of a glass of wine is the better one.

Cheers.

[helenwyler]

I have the same problem with why we don't have opposable thumbs on our feet...I can live without the knowledge,..but hey, if you don't ask!

opposable thumbs anyone?

Karia

Hi karia

Hate to see a mate in a quandary:eek:...

...so here's what I've found out.

Some monkeys and the Virginia opossum still have opposable toes....and so did our human ancestors. We apparently lost the ability to oppose our toes when we started walking upright on two legs...so there you go...walking and pedal digital opposition just ain't on for the human species.

On a more anecdotal level....

I used to think I had prehensile little toes. I can stretch them sideways without moving anything else on my feet. However, I have found that it is no use when tree climbing because of their small size....

...but, when MrW sounds as if he might start snoring, I am able to stretch it out his way and (gently;)) rub his leg, thus disturbing his slumber and quieting the snores....result!!....without even having to shift my carcus!!

Helen

[Thomas Farmer]

Hi Trix
I,ll make the complicated bit as simple as I can and get it out of the way first.
(obvious bit)
The gravity of the moon pulls on the earths surface, one high tide every 24 hours, but why do we have two high tides every 24 hours.
(Boring bit)
It is not the "gravitational" force that is doing it, but the change in gravitational force across the body of the earth.
On the side of the earth nearest the moon, the gravitational force is directed towards the moon. The force on the earths surface nearest the moon is greater than at the earths centre, therfore the force at the farside is less than at the centre. (still following this) this leaves more water at the far side because the "pull" is less, this results in the earth being squashed on the top and bottom, (ellipsoidal).
Simply put!!!
The gravitational force of the moon causes the earth to accelerate slightly towards the moon, this causes the water to get pulled towards the moon faster than the solid rock on the nearside. On the far side because the earth is getting pulled towards the moon the solid earth leaves behind some water which is not as strongly accelerated as the solid rock, this leaves a bulge of water on the far side of the earth. ergo two bulges in 24 hours approx.
Hope this makes sense??

Don't worry about the world ending today.
It's already tomorrow in Australia

[trix]

mr farmer, i think i finally understand!
iv got til hand it til ye, iss hes been puzzlin me for weeks. all i needed wis someone til explain it til me in laymans terms. lek they would explain it til...a 10 year auld??! :lol:

so really, when ye put it lek at, its quite obvious that there will be alot of water at e far side o e earth. e moon hes a powerful pull at the side of the earth in which it is facing, but its not so powerful that it can pull the sea from the side that is is not facing...
ats where e earths gravity kicks in, til gie us e second tide!!

i cana thank ye enough!! ye'v just made ma nite ;)
i cana wait til tell all e people that i asked that didna know (or really care) what e answer wis.

thanx again tommy