Create a graph to show the height of the tide over time

  1. Open Microsoft excel
  1. Enter your data into the spreadsheet:
  2. Label Column A - Date numbers and insert numbers
  3. Label Column B - Average High Tide water height and Average Low Tide water height
  1. Highlight/ select the boxes and insert a scatter plot graph with smooth lines
  1. Add a label for the x axis with appropriate units
  1. Add a label for the y axis with appropriate units
  1. Add a title for the graph that includes both the x and y labels
  1. Insert a textbox and create a label for each of the following moon phases (Be sure to place the box/ label on the graph to show the tide level during that phase)
  1. New moon
  2. Full moon
  3. 1st quarter
  4. 3rd quarter

High Tides / Average High
Tide Height / Low Tides / Average Low
Tide Height
Date / Day / AM / ft / PM / ft / ft / AM / ft / PM / ft / ft
1 / Sat / 7:42 / 5.7 / 8:07 / 5.2 / 5.45 / 1:12 / -1.1 / 1:43 / -1.1 / -1.10
2 / Sun / 8:30 / 5.6 / 8:55 / 5.3 / 5.45 / 2:04 / -1.1 / 2:30 / -1.1 / -1.10
3 / Mon / 9:17 / 5.3 / 9:42 / 5.2 / 5.25 / 2:55 / -1.0 / 3:16 / -0.9 / -0.95
4 / Tue / 10:05 / 5.0 / 10:30 / 5.0 / 5.00 / 3:45 / -0.7 / 4:02 / -0.7 / -0.70
5 / Wed / 10:53 / 4.5 / 11:19 / 4.8 / 4.65 / 4:37 / -0.4 / 4:49 / -0.3 / -0.35
6 / Thu / 11:43 / 4.1 / 4.10 / 5:31 / -0.0 / 5:38 / 0.1 / -0.05
7 / Fri / 12:11 / 4.5 / 12:39 / 3.7 / 4.10 / 6:28 / 0.3 / 6:30 / 0.4 / 0.35
8 / Sat / 1:08 / 4.2 / 1:39 / 3.4 / 3.80 / 7:29 / 0.6 / 7:28 / 0.6 / 0.60
9 / Sun / 3:09 / 4.1 / 3:43 / 3.3 / 3.70 / 9:32 / 0.7 / 9:28 / 0.7 / 0.70
10 / Mon / 4:11 / 4.0 / 4:45 / 3.4 / 3.70 / 10:32 / 0.7 / 10:26 / 0.7 / 0.70
11 / Tue / 5:08 / 4.1 / 5:39 / 3.5 / 3.80 / 11:25 / 0.6 / 11:20 / 0.6 / 0.60
12 / Wed / 5:59 / 4.3 / 6:26 / 3.7 / 4.00 / 12:11 / 0.4 / 0.40
13 / Thu / 6:43 / 4.4 / 7:08 / 4.0 / 4.20 / 12:08 / 0.4 / 12:51 / 0.3 / 0.35
14 / Fri / 7:23 / 4.6 / 7:47 / 4.3 / 4.45 / 12:52 / 0.2 / 1:28 / 0.1 / 0.15
15 / Sat / 8:01 / 4.7 / 8:24 / 4.5 / 4.60 / 1:33 / 0.0 / 2:02 / -0.0 / 0
16 / Sun / 8:37 / 4.7 / 9:00 / 4.7 / 4.70 / 2:12 / -0.1 / 2:35 / -0.1 / -0.10
17 / Mon / 9:12 / 4.7 / 9:34 / 4.8 / 4.75 / 2:50 / -0.2 / 3:07 / -0.2 / -0.20
18 / Tue / 9:46 / 4.6 / 10:09 / 4.9 / 4.75 / 3:28 / -0.2 / 3:41 / -0.2 / -0.20
19 / Wed / 10:22 / 4.5 / 10:46 / 4.9 / 4.70 / 4:08 / -0.2 / 4:16 / -0.1 / -0.15
20 / Thu / 11:00 / 4.3 / 11:28 / 4.9 / 4.60 / 4:51 / -0.1 / 4:56 / -0.1 / -0.10
21 / Fri / 11:44 / 4.4 / 4.40 / 5:39 / 0.0 / 5:41 / 0.0 / 0.00
22 / Sat / 12:16 / 4.8 / 12:36 / 3.9 / 4.35 / 6:33 / 0.2 / 6:35 / 0.2 / 0.20
23 / Sun / 1:13 / 4.8 / 1:39 / 3.7 / 4.25 / 7:34 / 0.3 / 7:38 / 0.3 / 0.30
24 / Mon / 2:20 / 4.7 / 2:54 / 3.7 / 4.20 / 8:42 / 0.3 / 8:50 / 0.3 / 0.30
25 / Tue / 3:32 / 4.8 / 4:10 / 3.9 / 4.35 / 9:49 / 0.1 / 10:02 / 0.1 / 0.10
26 / Wed / 4:42 / 4.9 / 5:18 / 4.3 / 4.60 / 10:52 / -0.1 / 11:09 / -0.1 / -0.10
27 / Thu / 5:45 / 5.1 / 6:17 / 4.7 / 4.90 / 11:50 / -0.4 / -0.40
28 / Fri / 6:42 / 5.3 / 7:11 / 5.1 / 5.20 / 12:10 / -0.4 / 12:42 / -0.6 / -0.50
29 / Sat / 7:34 / 5.4 / 8:00 / 5.4 / 5.40 / 1:06 / -0.7 / 1:31 / -0.8 / -0.75
30 / Sun / 8:23 / 5.4 / 8:47 / 5.5 / 5.45 / 1:59 / -0.8 / 2:18 / -0.8 / -0.80
31 / Mon / 9:10 / 5.3 / 9:32 / 5.6 / 5.45 / 2:49 / -0.8 / 3:03 / -0.8 / -0.80

Name:Date:Period:

Connecting Tides and Moon Phases

As you have learned, the moon’s gravity pulls on the Earth’s oceans causing the water to bulge outward in the direction of the moon. We also know that the moon orbits, or revolves, around the Earth once every 4 weeks. As the moon moves around the Earth, not only do we see different phases of the moon, but the height of the tides changes as well.

Objectives:

Be able to:

  • Explain the role the moon has on tides, both during the course of a day as well as over the course of a month.
  • Identify and label the correct sequence of moon phases
  • Make connections between the amount of sunlight we see reflected off of the moon (its phase) and the water level in the ocean (Tidal height)
  • Identify and explain the amount of time between high tides and low tides in one day
  • Use data on tides from a local source and excel to represent changes in tidal height throughout the month of March.
  • Add labels and graphics to a graph to include more depth and make connections between the phases and tides.

Create a graph to show the height of the tide over time

  1. Open Microsoft Excel
  1. Enter your data into the spreadsheet:
  2. Label Column A - Date numbers and then type in dates (1, 1, 2, 2…)
  3. Label Column B - Average High Tide water height and Average Low Tide water height and then type in the numbers (average high for day 1, then average low for day 1, average high for day 2, then average low for day 2…)
  1. Highlight/ select the boxes and insert a scatter plot graph with smooth lines
  1. Add a label for the x axis with appropriate units
  1. Add a label for the y axis with appropriate units
  1. Add a title for the graph that includes both the x and y labels
  1. Insert a textbox and create a label or picture for all of the moon phases
  2. New moon – Occurs March 1st
  3. Full moon
  4. 1st quarter
  5. 3rd quarter
  6. Waxing and Waning Crescent
  7. Waxing and Waning Gibbous

Conclusion Questions (Answer in complete sentences if you want full credit):

  1. Using the Tidal charts, about how far apart (in hours) are the high tides each day?
  1. How far apart (in hours) are the low tides each day?
  1. How far apart (in hours) are the morning high tide and the morning low tide each day?
  1. What moon phase(s) are associated with the highest of high tides? Why is this?Draw a diagram to show why this is and explain it.
  1. Why do you think the highest of high tides and lowest of low tides occur on the same days?
  1. Why is there not a big difference between the high and low tides during the neap tide?
  1. Why is there a higher high tide during a new moon compared to a full moon? Draw the Earth, moon, and sun during a full moon and also during a new moon to explain your answer.

The height of the tides can also vary during the course of a month because the Moon is not always the same distance from the Earth. As the Moon's orbit brings it in closer proximity to our planet (closest distance within a moon cycle is called perigee), its gravitational forces can increase by almost 50%, and this stronger force leads to high tides. Likewise, when the Moon is farther away from the Earth (furthest distance is called apogee), the tides are not as spectacular.