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Science and the Renaissance
The Renaissance brought with it a rebirth of art music and culture, but also a hunger for science and scientific knowledge. In 1603, Queen Elizabeth died, which ended the Elizabethan period; however the sciences continued to flourish. Newton was considered one of the most important scientists of the 17th century and was the first scientist to be knighted in 1705. His discovery regarding the law of gravity explained the forces of attraction on Earth. Later he went on to discover how the gravitational forces of the Earth, moon and sun pull the tides of the oceans.
Sir Isaac Newton
Newton was an English mathematician, scientist and physicist who lived from 1642 to 1727. His greatest discoveries included the understanding of gravitational forces, light optics and motion. In 1670, the black plague was rampant in Cambridge, causing Newton to flee to the countryside. While in the country, Newton came up with the concept of universal gravity. He noted that gravity is the force that keeps the sun, Earth and moon in orbit around one another. With this discovery came the breakthrough that the gravitational forces of the moon also pull the tides.
Tide Basics
Newton was the first scientist to explain that the moon is largely responsible for the tidal forces in the oceans on Earth. The sun is also responsible for tidal forces. The moon, although 27 million times smaller than the sun, is closer to the Earth, and therefore, can generate a larger gravitational pull, creating stronger tides than the sun. Because the moon rotates around the Earth it creates a gravitational force that pulls the water. The water on the side of the planet that the moon is closest to begin to bulge. At the same time, the rotation of the planet creates a bulge on the opposite side. These bulges travel around the planet, creating two tides a day.
Spring Tides and Neap Tides
Newton was also the first scientist to discover the principal of spring tides and neap tides. Spring tides are the largest tides in the ocean, occurring twice a month. These tides occur when the sun and the moon align, creating the greatest gravitational pull on the oceans. Conversely, neap tides occur about halfway through the month. Neap tides are both small and weak and occur when the gravity of the sun and the moon pull on the Earth at a right angle.