What does tidal locking mean in relation to the Moon and Earth?

Tidal locking keeps Earth in a steady orbit around the Moon.

The far side or "dark side" of the Moon is always in shadow making it impossible to see.

Tidal locking make the ocean tides on Earth produce two high tides and two low tides every 24 hours.

Tidal locking keeps the Moon in a synchronous orbit so we see only one side as it orbits Earth.

1 answer

Tidal locking refers to a gravitational phenomenon where a body (in this case, the Moon) takes the same amount of time to rotate on its axis as it does to orbit another body (the Earth). This means that the Moon is in synchronous rotation with the Earth, resulting in the same side of the Moon always facing the Earth.

Therefore, the correct statement is: Tidal locking keeps the Moon in a synchronous orbit so we see only one side as it orbits Earth.

The other statements are incorrect or misinterpret the concept. For example, while the far side of the Moon (often referred to as the "dark side") is not always in shadow, it is not visible from Earth. Additionally, tidal locking does not directly cause ocean tides; ocean tides are primarily influenced by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun.