What Causes Tides and How Do They Affect Us?

Imagine the ocean as a big, calm lake. Now picture the moon as a giant magnet pulling on it from far away. When the moon pulls on one side of the ocean, that side rises up like a wave, it’s called high tide. The opposite side also gets pulled up because the Earth is moving too, so there's another high tide across the planet. Meanwhile, where the water isn't being pulled, it goes down, making low tide. This happens twice every day, like the ocean breathing in and out.

Tides help ships move easier and change how much water is on beaches and in harbors. Sometimes, when the sun joins in the pull, the tides get even bigger!