Why is it that the moon exerts a larger tidal force on the Earth than the Sun does, even though the Sun is so very much more massive than the Moon?

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Why is it that the moon exerts a larger tidal force on the Earth than the Sun does, even though the Sun is so very much more massive than the Moon?

Expert Solution
Step 1 Concept and formula

The tidal force exerted on a body is given by:

F=Gm2rd3

where,

G is the Gravitational constant, 

m is the mass of the body exerting the tidal force,

r is the radius of the body experiencing the tidal force,

d is the distance between the two bodies.

 

 

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