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6th grade What causes the tides worksheet

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What causes the tides

Grade 6 Science Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. High tide at Jun's pier is at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Tide times come about 50 minutes later each day. About when is that high tide on Friday?

    • 6:45 p.m.
    • 4:15 p.m.
    • 5:05 p.m.
    • 1:45 p.m.
  2. High tide at Luz's harbor is at 8:20 p.m. on Thursday. Tide times come about 50 minutes later each day. About when is that high tide on Sunday?

    • 8:20 p.m.
    • 9:10 p.m.
    • 5:50 p.m.
    • 10:50 p.m.
  3. Read this first

    Table (example data)

    Day 1, high 2.4 m, low 1.2 m. Day 2, high 2.3 m, low 0.2 m. Day 3, high 2.0 m, low 0.1 m.

  4. Milo compares three days of tides. Which day had the greatest tidal range (high tide minus low tide)?

    • Day 2, with a range of 2.5 m, found by adding the high of 2.3 and the low of 0.2.
    • Day 3, because its low tide was the lowest number in the whole table.
    • Day 1, because its high tide was the highest of the three days.
    • Day 2, with a range of 2.1 m, found by subtracting 0.2 from 2.3.
  5. Table (example data)

    Day 1, high 1.7 m, low 0.2 m. Day 2, high 2.6 m, low 1.5 m. Day 3, high 2.4 m, low 0.4 m.

  6. Noah compares three days of tides at a bay. Which day had the greatest tidal range (high tide minus low tide)?

    • Day 1, because its low tide was the lowest reading that week.
    • Day 3, with a range of 2.8 m, found by adding the high of 2.4 and the low of 0.4.
    • Day 3, with a range of 2.0 m, found by subtracting 0.4 from 2.4.
    • Day 2, because its high tide was the highest reading on the chart.
  7. Table (example data)

    Day 1, high 2.4 m, low 0.6 m. Day 2, high 2.9 m, low 2.0 m. Day 3, high 1.9 m, low 0.4 m.

  8. Pia compares three days of tides at a river mouth. Which day had the greatest tidal range (high tide minus low tide)?

    • Day 2, because its high tide was the tallest one shown in the bay table.
    • Day 1, with a range of 1.8 m, found by subtracting 0.6 from 2.4.
    • Day 3, because its low tide was the smallest reading among the days listed.
    • Day 1, with a range of 3.0 m, found by adding the high of 2.4 and the low of 0.6.
  9. Table (example data)

    Day 1, high 2.0 m, low 0.1 m. Day 2, high 2.6 m, low 0.4 m. Day 3, high 2.9 m, low 2.0 m.

  10. Ren compares three days of tides at a harbor. Which day had the greatest tidal range (high tide minus low tide)?

    • Day 2, with a range of 2.2 m, found by subtracting 0.4 from 2.6.
    • Day 2, with a range of 3.0 m, found by adding the high of 2.6 and the low of 0.4.
    • Day 1, because its low tide was the lowest of the group.
    • Day 3, because its high tide was the highest one recorded at the harbor.
  11. Table (example data)

    Day 1, new moon, range 2.5 m. Day 8, first quarter, range 1.1 m. Day 15, full moon, range 2.4 m. Day 22, third quarter, range 1.2 m.

  12. Tala reads a Moon calendar with tidal ranges. Day 30 is a new moon. What range should the club expect?

    • A small range, about 1.1 to 1.2 m, like the earlier quarter moons.
    • No way to tell, because the ranges change at random.
    • A large range, about 2.4 to 2.5 m, like earlier new moons.
    • A middle range, about 1.8 m, halfway between the big and small values.
  13. Zee's boat club wants the day with the smallest tidal range. Using the table, which days should the club pick?

    • Day 8 or Day 22, which are the quarter moons in the table.
    • Any day, because the range changes at random from one day to the next.
    • Day 1 or Day 15, which are the new moon and the full moon.
    • Day 11, halfway between the full moon and a quarter moon.
  14. Ari studies the Moon calendar of tidal ranges. Which statement does the table support?

    • The ranges are larger near the quarter moons than near new and full moons.
    • The ranges are larger near new and full moons than near the quarter moons.
    • The ranges are largest halfway between the Moon's phases.
    • The ranges show no pattern, because they go up and down.
  15. Bo sees that day 44 is a full moon. Using the table, what range is the most reasonable prediction?

    • About 1.2 m, because a full moon has a small range.
    • No prediction is possible, because the ranges are random.
    • About 2.4 m, because full moons had a large range.
    • About 1.8 m, because the range is halfway between the values.
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6th grade What causes the tides worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

What causes the tides. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can read a water-level table to find high tide, low tide and the tidal range.
  • I can say that the Moon's gravity, with a smaller pull from the Sun, causes the tides, and that wind, rain and rivers do not.
  • I can predict when a high tide comes using about 12 hours 25 minutes between high tides and about 50 minutes later each day.
  • I can use a Moon calendar to say when tides have a large range and when a small one.
  • I can pick a plan that tests whether the Moon changes the tides, and a claim a tide table supports.

Standard: supports MS-ESS1-1, MS-PS2-4

Words to know

high tide / low tide: The highest and the lowest water level in a tide cycle.

tidal range: The difference between the high tide and the low tide.

gravity: The pull that objects, like the Moon, have on each other.

new moon, full moon: Moon phases when the tides have the largest ranges.

quarter moon: A half-lit Moon, when the tides have the smallest ranges.

Common mistakes

Your child picked the lowest reading when asked for the highest, or the highest when asked for the lowest. High tide is the highest water level and low tide is the lowest.

Your child picked the first reading in the table. The highest or lowest reading can be anywhere in the list.

Your child picked a reading just before the peak. The water was still rising or falling at that time.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with what causes the tides?

Your child picked the lowest reading when asked for the highest, or the highest when asked for the lowest. High tide is the highest water level and low tide is the lowest.

Are these 6th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More grade 6 science

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