Using slime to enhance students’ understanding of tidal force and its effect on ocean: two water bulges

Abstract

Tidal force refers to the difference in gravitational pulls exerted by one celestial body on different parts of another body such as the Moon and the Earth. Tidal force is complicated for students to understand because it is an abstract scientific idea, difficult to demonstrate, touch, or perceive by people’s senses. However, the concept of tidal force is useful for explaining phenomena such as the formation of two water bulges. This is important because some students mistakenly believe there is only one bulge on the side facing the Moon, as typical explanations focus solely on the Moon’s attraction. This paper uses a combination of slime as a physical model and a diagram to help students understand the tidal force and its effect on ocean: two water bulges.