Why do tides go in and out?
The moon gently pulls on the sea, so the water slides in and out.
Pip’s answer
- The moon gently pulls on the sea, so the water slides in and out.
- The pull makes a big hump of water on the side facing the moon.
- As Earth spins, your beach moves into the hump, then out again.
- Wow-ee, the moon moves a whole ocean, way up from space!
For grown-ups
The moon's gravity pulls on Earth's oceans, creating a bulge of water on the side facing the moon and another on the opposite side. As Earth rotates through these bulges, most coastlines get two high tides and two low tides about every day. The sun's gravity affects tides too.
Ask your child: Can we look up when high tide is at our favorite beach?
More questions kids ask
- 🌊Why are there waves in the ocean?
- 🌓Why does the moon change shape?
- 🍎Why do things fall down?
- 🌤️Why is the sky blue?
- 🌅Why are sunsets orange?
- 🌈Why are there rainbows?
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