Which astronomical object is primarily responsible for Earth's tides?

Which astronomical object is primarily responsible for Earth's tides?

• A. The Sun
• B. Neptune
• C. The Moon
• D. Jupiter

Answer: (C)

The Moon is primarily responsible for Earth's tides due to its gravitational pull on the Earth's waters. This gravitational force creates bulges in the Earth’s oceans, resulting in high and low tides. There are two tidal bulges that occur on opposite sides of the Earth: one is caused by the Moon's direct gravitational attraction, while the other occurs on the opposite side due to the centrifugal force from the Earth-Moon system's rotation. The Sun also affects tides, but its impact is less significant than that of the Moon. The Sun's gravitational pull is about half as effective in generating tides as the Moon’s. While larger celestial bodies like Jupiter and Neptune do exert some gravitational influence on Earth, their distance renders them negligible when it comes to tidal effects on our planet. Therefore, the Moon is the key astronomical object responsible for the tides we observe on Earth.

The Moon is primarily responsible for Earth's tides due to its gravitational pull on the Earth's waters. This gravitational force creates bulges in the Earth’s oceans, resulting in high and low tides. There are two tidal bulges that occur on opposite sides of the Earth: one is caused by the Moon's direct gravitational attraction, while the other occurs on the opposite side due to the centrifugal force from the Earth-Moon system's rotation.

The Sun also affects tides, but its impact is less significant than that of the Moon. The Sun's gravitational pull is about half as effective in generating tides as the Moon’s. While larger celestial bodies like Jupiter and Neptune do exert some gravitational influence on Earth, their distance renders them negligible when it comes to tidal effects on our planet. Therefore, the Moon is the key astronomical object responsible for the tides we observe on Earth.