"Peter S/Y Anicula" wrote in message
...
The moon are a lot closer than the sun. Therefore the gravitational
force of the moon varies more over the earth's surface. It is the
variation in the gravitational force and not the force in itself that
creates the tides.

The moons pull on a water-molecule directly under the moon is larger
than
on a molecule on the far side of the earth, actually it is larger than
"the average pull on the whole earth", and here the moon pulls away
from the earth.
On the far side of the earth (seen from the moon) the gravitation from
the moon is less than average and at this point the moon pulls toward
the earth.

On the far side the tide is "high", ... just the same as at the near side.
If the moon's gravity was pulling the water, then you would expect LW to be
opposite the moon.


In the middle (when the moon is in the horizon) the moons
pulls with the same as on the earth as a whole, and there is no
vertical component, so here the water-molecule is "unaffected" by the
moon.

Wrong! This is when LW occurs. By definition, LW is lower than the
average sea level. Therefore, there must be a force that is dragging it
down.


Regards


Donal
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