Chapter Questions
At what times would you expect high and low tides when the Moon is full?
At what times would you expect high and low tides when the Moon is at first quarter?
Carry out the same calculation as in Section 19.2 for the tidal force on the far side of the Earth. Show that this tidal force has approximately the same strength as the tidal force on the near side but points in the opposite direction.
If the Moon were massive enough, it could pull a kilogram of water off of the Earth's surface with its tidal forces. How massive would it have to be for this to happen?
Calculate the Sun's tidal force on 1 kilogram of water. The Sun's mass is $1.99 \times 10^{30} \mathrm{kg}$, and the distance between the Earth and Sun is $1.50 \times 10^{11} \mathrm{m}$.
Using the law of gravity, calculate the tidal force of Mars on a kilogram of water. The mass of Mars is $6.42 \times 10^{23} \mathrm{kg}$ and the minimum distance between the Earth and Mars is $7.78 \times 10^{10} \mathrm{m}$.