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Q70 (IAS/2015) Geography › World Physical Geography › Ocean circulation systems Official Key

Tides occur in the oceans and seas due to which among the following? 1. Gravitational force of the Sun 2. Gravitational force of the Moon 3. Centrifugal force of the Earth Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: D
Explanation

Tides are the periodical rise and fall of sea level, once or twice a day, mainly due to the attraction of the sun and the moon.[2] The moon's gravitational pull to a great extent and to a lesser extent the sun's gravitational pull, are the major causes for the occurrence of tides.[2] Additionally, centrifugal force, which is the force that acts to counter balance gravity, is another factor.[2]

Together, the gravitational pull and the centrifugal force are responsible for creating the two major tidal bulges on the earth.[3] On the side facing the moon, a tidal bulge occurs, while on the opposite side, though the moon's gravitational attraction is less, the centrifugal force causes a tidal bulge.[3]

Therefore, all three factors—the gravitational force of the Sun, the gravitational force of the Moon, and the centrifugal force of the Earth—contribute to the occurrence of tides. The correct answer is option D (1, 2 and 3).

Sources
  1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 32: Ocean Movements Ocean Currents And Tides > 32.2. Tides > p. 500
  2. [2] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 13: Movements of Ocean Water > TIDES > p. 109
  3. [3] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 13: Movements of Ocean Water > TIDES > p. 109
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Q. Tides occur in the oceans and seas due to which among the following? 1. Gravitational force of the Sun 2. Gravitational force of the Mo…
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Origin: From standard books Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 10/10 · 0/10
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This is a textbook 'Sitter' directly from NCERT Class XI. It rewards careful reading of definitions rather than skimming. The strategy is simple: In Physical Geography, if a process involves forces, list ALL contributing forces mentioned in the text, not just the dominant one.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Are tides in the oceans and seas caused by the gravitational force of the Sun?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 32: Ocean Movements Ocean Currents And Tides > 32.2. Tides > p. 500
Presence: 5/5
“• The periodical rise and fall of the sea level, once or twice a day, mainly due to the attraction of the sun and the moon, is called a tide. The study of tides is very complex, spatially and temporally, as it has great variations in frequency, magnitude and height.• The moon's gravitational pull to a great extent and to a lesser extent the sun's, are the major causes for the occurrence of tides. Another factor is the centrifugal force (which arises due to the rotation of”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states tides are due to attraction of the sun and the moon.
  • Specifies the moon's pull is dominant and the sun's pull contributes to a lesser extent.
FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 13: Movements of Ocean Water > TIDES > p. 109
Presence: 5/5
“The periodical rise and fall of the sea level, once or twice a day, mainly due to the attraction of the sun and the moon, is called a tide. Movement of water caused by meteorological effects (winds and atmospheric pressure changes) are called surges. Surges are not regular like tides. The study of tides is very complex, spatially and temporally, as it has great variations in frequency, magnitude and height. The moon's gravitational pull to a great extent and to a lesser extent the sun's gravitational pull, are the major causes for the occurrence of tides. Another factor is centrifugal force, which is the force that acts to counter balance the gravity.”
Why this source?
  • Defines tides as caused mainly by attraction of the sun and moon.
  • Clearly notes the moon's gravitational pull is greater, with the sun's pull being a secondary cause.
FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 13: Movements of Ocean Water > Tides based on the Sun, Moon and the Earth Positions > p. 110
Presence: 5/5
“At this time the sun and moon are at right angles to each other and the forces of the sun and moon tend to counteract one another. The Moon's attraction, though more than twice as strong as the sun's, is diminished by the counteracting force of the sun's gravitational pull. Once in a month, when the moon's orbit is closest to the earth (perigee), unusually high and low tides occur. During this time the tidal range is greater than normal. Two weeks later, when the moon is farthest from earth (apogee), the moon's gravitational force is limited and the tidal ranges are less than their average heights.”
Why this source?
  • Explains interaction of sun and moon forces (e.g., right-angle configuration reduces combined effect).
  • States the moon's attraction is stronger than the sun's but acknowledges the sun's gravitational pull affects tidal range.
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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

CDS-I · 2018 · Q16 Relevance score: 1.32

Statement I : Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun and the rotation of the Earth. Statement I : The Earth rotates from west to east.

CAPF · 2025 · Q77 Relevance score: 0.43

Consider the following statements with reference to neap tides: 1. Normally, there is a seven-day interval between two neap tides. 2. At this time, the Sun and the Moon are at right angles to each other. 3. The Moon's attraction is diminished by the counteracting force of the Sun's gravitational pull. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

NDA-I · 2019 · Q6 Relevance score: -0.75

Spring tides refer to

CDS-I · 2009 · Q67 Relevance score: -0.87

Which one of the following is the tide produced as a consequence of moon and sun pulling the earth in the same direction ?