Which term refers to the water bulges toward the Moon?

Which term refers to the water bulges toward the Moon?

• A. The regular rise and fall of the ocean's surface influenced by the moon's gravity pulling on earth
• B. Water bulges toward Moon
• C. The time at which the tide reaches its lowest level
• D. Sun and Moon are at right angles; weakest

Answer: (B)

Tides are caused by the Moon's gravity pulling on Earth's oceans, creating bulges. The water bulge toward the Moon is the tidal bulge—high tide on the near side where the Moon’s gravity pulls strongest. This is one of the two bulges that form as the oceans respond to the Moon (the other bulge forms on the far side due to inertia). So the term describing the bulge toward the Moon is the tidal bulge. The other descriptions refer to the overall rise and fall of tides, the lowest point (low tide), or a phase when tides are weaker (neap tides), but they don’t name the bulge itself.

Tides are caused by the Moon's gravity pulling on Earth's oceans, creating bulges. The water bulge toward the Moon is the tidal bulge—high tide on the near side where the Moon’s gravity pulls strongest. This is one of the two bulges that form as the oceans respond to the Moon (the other bulge forms on the far side due to inertia). So the term describing the bulge toward the Moon is the tidal bulge. The other descriptions refer to the overall rise and fall of tides, the lowest point (low tide), or a phase when tides are weaker (neap tides), but they don’t name the bulge itself.