Final answer:
Doubling the mass of the Moon would significantly increase the strength of the lunar tides due to the direct proportionality of gravitational force to the masses involved. This would result in higher high tides and lower low tides on Earth due to the greater gravitational pull of the more massive Moon.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the Moon had twice the mass that it does, the strength of the lunar tides would change significantly. This is because tidal forces are greatly influenced by the gravitational pull of the Moon. The significance of the Moon's gravitational effect comes from the differential force—the difference in gravitational pull between the near side and the far side of Earth. According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, the force between two masses is directly proportional to the product of their masses. Therefore, if the Moon's mass were doubled, the gravitational force it exerts on Earth—and consequently the tidal force—would also double. This increase in gravitational force would result in stronger tides, creating higher high tides and lower low tides. However, it's important to note that the tidal force is a differential force, and although the overall force of attraction would be greater, the differential would still depend on the relative distances involved.
The Pull of the Moon on Earth creates the tides we observe. Tidal forces arise because of the difference in gravitational force from one side of Earth to the other, caused by the Moon's gravity. Currently, the Moon's gravitational force is about 7% higher on the near side of the Earth compared to the far side, a small difference that results in the phenomenon of tides. If the Moon were twice as massive, this percentage difference would increase, leading to more extreme tides, assuming the Moon's distance from Earth remains the same.