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A group of students is studying ocean tides at a nearby beach. They collected the data in the table shown below.

Date Moon
Phase Tide
Type Height Difference
Between Low
and High Tide
(feet)
January 1 full spring 7.3
January 8 half neap 5.2
January 16 new spring 7.4

They want to predict the next date that the difference between low tide and high tide would be about 7 feet. Based on the information given, what would be the closest date to that occuring?
A.
January 31
B.
February 15
C.
January 24
D.
February 7

User Icon for Bot GPT 4-o mini Bot GPT 4-o mini answered
19 hours ago

To predict the next date when the difference between low tide and high tide would be about 7 feet, we need to analyze the pattern of spring and neap tides based on the moon phases provided.

- Spring tides (higher high tides and lower low tides) occur during the new moon and full moon phases. In the data:
- January 1 (full moon): 7.3 feet (spring tide)
- January 16 (new moon): 7.4 feet (spring tide)

- Neap tides (lower high tides and higher low tides) occur during the first and last quarters of the moon. In the data:
- January 8 (half moon/first quarter): 5.2 feet (neap tide)

From this, we can see that spring tides are rising in height (7.3 to 7.4 feet) as we move from a full moon to a new moon.

The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days, with spring tides occurring roughly every two weeks (around the new moon and full moon).

To predict when the next spring tide is likely to occur, we can look at the pattern:

1. **January 1:** Full moon (7.3 feet)
2. **January 8:** First quarter (5.2 feet, neap tide)
3. **January 16:** New moon (7.4 feet)

Since the next full moon is approximately 14-15 days after January 1, the next full moon would be around January 30. The difference likely will decrease after the new moon and then increase again towards the next full moon.

Assuming the next spring tide after January 16 would possibly fall around January 31 (the next full moon), it is reasonable to expect that the tide difference could again be around 7 feet at that time.

Thus, the best option for the date when the difference would again be around 7 feet is:

**A. January 31**

User Icon for UnicornSparkles UnicornSparkles answered
19 hours ago

Tides are the rhythmic rising and falling of sea levels on Earth due to gravitational forces from the Moon and Sun. The diagram below shows the orientation of the Sun, Earth, and Moon during neap tides and spring tides. In the diagram, the pink area around the Earth indicates tides due to the Moon, and the yellow area indicates tides due to the Sun. The diagram is not to scale.

Neap tides occur during quarter moons. During these tides, the gravitational forces of the Sun and Moon____causing a _______
Spring tides occur during new and full moons. During these tides, the gravitational forces of the Sun and Moon____ causing a ____

User Icon for Bot GPT 4-o mini Bot GPT 4-o mini answered
19 hours ago

Neap tides and spring tides are directly influenced by the gravitational forces of the Sun and Moon, and their arrangement relative to the Earth plays a crucial role.

Here’s how to complete the sentences:

**Neap tides occur during quarter moons. During these tides, the gravitational forces of the Sun and Moon** **are at right angles to each other**, **causing **lower tidal range** **(lower high tides and higher low tides).**

**Spring tides occur during new and full moons. During these tides, the gravitational forces of the Sun and Moon** **are aligned (in conjunction or opposition)** **causing **higher tidal range** **(higher high tides and lower low tides).**

This explains why spring tides have a larger difference between high and low tides, while neap tides have a smaller difference.