| ▲ | ordu 3 days ago | |
> I can’t get a good intuition about how tidal forces explain (1) Earth’s moon causing ocean bulges on both sides of Earth Try to imagine that all the Earth is liquid, so no landmass that resist deformation. And now ask yourself a question: which form this Earth should take in presence of Moon? You see the reason for a bulge facing the Moon, but what kind of shape should be the other side? Anti-bulge, depression? Or maybe an approximate spherical surface? Or another bulge facing from the Moon? > tidal friction making Earth’s moon stop spinning and move further away. Deformed Earth is rotating and the bulge under the Moon tends to move faster than Moon (in terms of angular velocity). So the bulge is sort of "in front" of the Moon and it pulls it forward speeding it up. The other bulge works in opposite direction, but it is more distant so the force is lower. | ||
| ▲ | cscharenberg 2 days ago | parent [-] | |
> So the bulge is sort of "in front" of the Moon and it pulls it forward speeding it up. The other bulge works in opposite direction, but it is more distant so the force is lower. Interesting! I had never caught that key idea and need to read more about that. thanks | ||