Question

The Sun and the Moon both exert a gravitational attraction on Earth's tides, but solar tides are about half the size of lunar tides.Which difference between the Sun and the Moon causes this difference in tides?

a.The Sun is hotter than the Moon
b) The Sun is more massive than the Moon.
C The Sun is farther from Earth than the Moon is from Earth.
d.The Sun is made of lighter elements than those of the Moon

Answer 1

The Sun and the Moon both affect Earth's tides, but the Moon has a greater impact due to its closer proximity to Earth, causing a larger variation in gravitational pull across Earth's diameter compared to the Sun.

Step-by-step explanation:

The difference in the size of tides caused by the Sun and the Moon has to do with their relative distances from Earth. While the Sun's gravitational pull on Earth is about 200 times stronger than the Moon's due to its larger mass, the Sun is also significantly farther away from Earth than the Moon. This increased distance means that the difference in the Sun's gravitational force across Earth's diameter is less pronounced compared to that of the Moon. Therefore, the Moon's tidal effect is greater because the fractional change in distance from the near side to the far side of Earth is much more significant for the Moon than it is for the Sun. This difference in distances leads to the Moon having a larger effect on Earth's tides, despite the Sun's greater overall gravitational force.