1. Earth’s Tides Simulation
Purpose:
To produce an application that helps students understand the tidal forces and the effects of orbital cycles on the tidal forces.
To be used especially as a demonstration for introductory level courses.
Craig Brubaker
Union College
2/28/04
Simplifications:
Assume Earth covered by a shallow ocean.
Parts of the system should be able to be turned on and off.
Force of Gravity:
Proportional to the product of the masses over the square of the distance.
Tidal Force:
Proportional to the product of the masses over the CUBE of the distance.
Tidal Bulges
Tidal Force produces TWO high tide points.
Tidal Force produces a low tide line equidistant to both high tide points.
The greater the high tide points, the lesser the low tide line.
Planetary Motion:
The orbits of the planets are ellipses, with the Sun at one focus of the ellipse.