P4_2 Tidal forces in the solar system

Abstract

This article investigates the tidal accelerations exerted by planets on orbiting moons. The tidal acceleration was calculated, in terms of the acceleration due to gravity at the planet's surface, for several planetary systems in the solar system. A plot was created which showed that for most planetary systems, the tidal acceleration varied inversely as the cube of the semi-major axis, as theory predicted for the Earth and Moon.