2. Physical Oceanography

Tides — Quiz

Test your understanding of tides with 5 practice questions.

Practice Questions

Question 1

Which of the following tidal constituents is primarily responsible for the semi-diurnal lunar tide, having a period of approximately $12.42$ hours?

Question 2

A narrow, V-shaped estuary that gradually shoals inland is most likely to experience which of the following tidal phenomena?

Question 3

The gravitational force ($F$) between two celestial bodies is given by Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation: $F = G \frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2}$. Tidal forces, however, are proportional to the inverse cube of the distance ($F_{tidal} \propto \frac{1}{r^3}$). If the distance ($r$) between the Earth and the Sun were to increase by a factor of $2$, how would the tidal force exerted by the Sun on Earth's oceans change?

Question 4

Which of the following best explains why the Moon has a greater influence on Earth's tides than the Sun, despite the Sun's much larger mass?

Question 5

Consider a coastal region where the tidal range is consistently very small, even during spring tides. Which of the following local bathymetric features would most likely contribute to this phenomenon?