Why Does the Moon Affect the Tides?

The moon pulls on Earth like a giant magnet. The water in the ocean is pulled by this gravity, making it rise and fall. When the moon is close to Earth, the tides are higher. When it’s farther away, they’re lower. It’s like when you pull a rope, the water follows!

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Examples

The ocean waves up like a big spoonful of soup being pulled toward the moon.
You can feel the water getting higher when you're near the shore during a high tide.
When the moon is full, tides are stronger, it's like Earth and the Moon are holding hands.

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Categories: Science · tides,moon,gravity