Give a reason for each of the following:

(i) There are two high and two low tides in a day.

(ii) Each day a tide is delayed by 26 minutes.

(iii) The tidal range differs from one water body to the other.

(i) Because the Earth rotates through two tidal bulges every lunar day, coastal areas experience two high and two low tides every 24 hours and 52 minutes. This occurs because the moon is revolving around the Earth in the same direction as the Earth is rotating on its axis.

(ii) Each day a tide is delayed by 26 minutes because the moon also rotates on its axis while revolving around the earth. Since the earth rotates from west to east the tide centre shifts westwards. When the tide centre completes one round, the moon's position is ahead of the tide centre by that time. This delays the tide by 26 minutes each day.

(iii) The tidal range differs from one water body to the other as tidal range is not constant but changes depending on the locations of the moon and the sun.