"Jeff Morris" wrote in message
...

"Donal" wrote in message
...

"Jeff Morris" wrote in message

I've still got a suspicion that if we expand your equation, we will
find
that the sun has a greater gravitational influence on the earth than
the
moon does.

Yes, its does. The direct gravitational pull of the Sun is enormous,
much
larger than the Moon's. However, the tides are caused by the
difference
in pull
between the near side and the far side.

Sorry! This doesn't make any sense at all. How does the water on the
far
side(of the earth) know that there is a different pull on the other
side?

It doesn't "know" anything. Because the Earth and Moon are an "orbiting
pair," as you
say, they are falling towards each other. Because the gravitational field
varies, the
near side falls faster than the middle; and the far side falls slower.

Very neat! However, your view seems to be a little bit simplistic.

Why should a solid fall more slowly than a fluid in a gravitational field?
If your theory was correct, then there wouldn't be any tide at all.


You seem to be ignoring momentum.


Regards

Donal
--