Quizzes & Puzzles4 mins ago
two moons
If the Earth had two moons ,both roughly the same size and directly opposite each other, what would be the effect on the oceans. would there be no high and low tides or would we have twice as many?
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.I'd agree with the above.
It depends on the phases of the moons. Unless they're precisely the same as each other and moving at precisely the same speed and altitude, you're going to get some interference effects.
The same principle can be seen if you get two metal balls and hang them from pieces of string. Each one will be able to sway independantly. But if you connect them loosely with a spring (to simulate the effect of interference), you'll find that sometimes you get a damping effect where their amplitudes are reduced, and sometimes you get a constructive interference effect where their amplitudes are slightly increased. You're unlikely to see any large resonance effect I'd have thought, so the waves of the oceans would probably be a little larger and smaller than we currently have, alternating.
It depends on the phases of the moons. Unless they're precisely the same as each other and moving at precisely the same speed and altitude, you're going to get some interference effects.
The same principle can be seen if you get two metal balls and hang them from pieces of string. Each one will be able to sway independantly. But if you connect them loosely with a spring (to simulate the effect of interference), you'll find that sometimes you get a damping effect where their amplitudes are reduced, and sometimes you get a constructive interference effect where their amplitudes are slightly increased. You're unlikely to see any large resonance effect I'd have thought, so the waves of the oceans would probably be a little larger and smaller than we currently have, alternating.
. . . because there are already two each (both high and low) tides opposite each other associated with one moon.
Although the Sun's contribution to tide production is only about half (due to its much greater distance) that of the Moon, higher tides accompanying both New and Full Moons confirms that another gravitational body whether acting from the same or opposite side as the Moon results in more prominent tides.
Although the Sun's contribution to tide production is only about half (due to its much greater distance) that of the Moon, higher tides accompanying both New and Full Moons confirms that another gravitational body whether acting from the same or opposite side as the Moon results in more prominent tides.