What Causes the ‘Tides’ and How Do They Affect Us?

Tides happen because the moon pulls on Earth’s water. Imagine you're in a pool with your friend, and they pull one side of the pool, water moves toward them, making a high tide. When they let go, the water goes back, making a low tide. This happens twice every day, like clockwork.

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Examples

The ocean water moves toward the moon like it’s being pulled by an invisible string.
A ship can sail more easily during high tide because there's more water to help it float.
When the sun and moon pull together, the tides get really strong, sometimes even flooding parts of the beach.

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Categories: Science · tides,gravity,moon,ocean