May 18 2012, 07:20 PM
Tides are actually very fascinating and there are many factors that contribute to the tides that we experience everyday. The gravitational effect of the moon and sun (we would have tides though smaller even if we did not have a moon), topology of the earth and rotation of the earth.
Let's ask the question - why are there 2 bulges or why do we have 2 high tides and 2 low tides at any one time.
We would have tides even if the earth was not rotating.
Tides are produced by a difference in the gravitational force. The side of the Earth near the moon is about 6400km closer to the moon than the center of the Earth, the moons pull is 3% more on the side facing the moon than the center of the Earth.
Now for the other side of the Earth. The far side is about 6400km farther from the moon than the center and the moon pulls less strongly than the centre. So there is a small force that makes the ocean water flow away from the moon.
There are images in the following links.
With Maths
http://mb-soft.com/public/tides.html
Descriptive
http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/scenario/tides101.htm
Science If the moon suddenly disappears?, what will happen?
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