Gravity and Tides Flashcards
Why does the Earth move around the sun and not fly off into space?
Gravity. The sun has so much mass that the Earth and the other planets are attracted to it. Inertia keeps it moving around. The planet wants to fly off in a straight line but the gravitational pull won’t let it.
What is gravity?
A non-contact force that pulls objects together everywhere. All objects have gravity, even you and I.
The strength of the gravitational force depends on what two things?
Mass and distance.
More mass= more gravity
Less mass= less gravity
Which property of the Sun most affects the strength of gravitational attraction between the Sun and Earth?
A. Mass
B. Radius
C. Shape
D. Temperature
A. Mass
What is the movement of one object around another in space?
A. axis
B. orbit
C. revolution
D. rotation
c. revolution
What causes the moon to orbit the earth?
a. the moon’s mass
b. Earth’s gravity
c. the sun’s gravity
d. the vacuum of space
b
The sun’s gravity pulls the earth toward it and keeps it from floating away into space. What keeps the earth from being pulled into the sun?
a. the sun’s gravity and mass
b. the moon’s inertia and sideways motion
c. the earth’s gravity and mass
d. the earth’s inertia and sideways motion
d
What causes tides?
The tides result from the rotation of Earth on its axis as gravity from the moon
and the sun pull on Earth and its water.
What are tides?
The alternate rising and falling of the sea, usually twice in each lunar day at a particular place, due to the attraction of the moon and sun.
What is the time between a low tide and a high tide?
6 hours
What would happen if you dropped two objects of different masses in a vacuum?
The two objects will hit the ground at the same time due to the loss of air resistance.
Which affects the tides more: the sun or the moon?
The moon. Though the sun has a larger mass, the moon is closer by a lot, so it affects the tides more.
When the sun, moon, and Earth line up, what kind of tide does it create?
spring tide
when the sun moon and earth create a right angle, what kind of tide does it create?
neap tide
What is a neap tide?
A little bit over high tide and a little bit under low tide. The Sun and the moon are not lined up like a spring tide, so the pull is not focused. The tidal difference is moderate.
