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6th grade What causes the tides worksheet

6 printable versionsBuilding Confidence10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

Level: Building Confidence · On Level · Challenge Me

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What causes the tides

Grade 6 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    Table (example data)

    Water level at a dock. 6 a.m.: 0.9 m. 9 a.m.: 1.6 m. 12 noon: 2.2 m. 3 p.m.: 1.4 m. 6 p.m.: 0.6 m.

  2. Esme reads a dock's water-level table. At which time was it high tide?

    • 6 a.m., when the water was at 0.9 m
    • 6 p.m., when the water was at 0.6 m
    • 9 a.m., when the water was at 1.6 m
    • 12 noon, when the water was at 2.2 m
  3. Table (example data)

    Water level in a harbor. 7 a.m.: 1.4 m. 10 a.m.: 0.8 m. 1 p.m.: 0.3 m. 4 p.m.: 1.0 m. 7 p.m.: 1.9 m.

  4. Jun reads a harbor's water-level table. At which time was it low tide?

    • 1 p.m., when the water was at 0.3 m
    • 10 a.m., when the water was at 0.8 m
    • 7 p.m., when the water was at 1.9 m
    • 7 a.m., when the water was at 1.4 m
  5. Table (example data)

    Water level at a pier. 4 a.m.: 0.7 m. 7 a.m.: 1.3 m. 10 a.m.: 1.9 m. 1 p.m.: 1.1 m. 4 p.m.: 0.5 m.

  6. Kira reads a pier's water-level table. How high was the water at high tide?

    • 0.5 m, the reading at 4 p.m.
    • 0.7 m, the reading at 4 a.m.
    • 1.3 m, the reading at 7 a.m.
    • 1.9 m, the reading at 10 a.m.
  7. Table (example data)

    Water level at a boat ramp. 8 a.m.: 1.5 m. 11 a.m.: 0.9 m. 2 p.m.: 0.2 m. 5 p.m.: 1.0 m. 8 p.m.: 1.8 m.

  8. Luz reads a boat ramp's water-level table. How low was the water at low tide?

    • 0.9 m, the reading at 11 a.m.
    • 1.5 m, the reading at 8 a.m.
    • 0.2 m, the reading at 2 p.m.
    • 1.8 m, the reading at 8 p.m.
  9. Noah checks a harbor's tide table and finds the times are the same on calm days and stormy days. What does that suggest?

    • Rivers cause the tides, since their flow follows the same schedule.
    • Storms still cause the tides, but their effect is too small to notice.
    • Tides come from something steady, like the Moon's gravity.
    • The Sun causes most tides, because the Sun is larger than the Moon.
  10. Printed tide tables list tides a year ahead. Pia asks why people can do that. What is the best reason?

    • The Moon and Earth move in regular patterns, so tides repeat.
    • Winds blow on a fixed schedule, so the winds can be planned ahead.
    • The Moon's light changes on a schedule, so the water swells on schedule.
    • Rivers fill and empty the ocean on a fixed schedule through the year.
  11. High tide at Tala's dock is at 6:00 a.m. The next high tide comes about 12 hours 25 minutes later. When is it?

    • 6:25 p.m.
    • 6:00 p.m.
    • 6:50 p.m.
    • 5:35 p.m.
  12. High tide at Zee's pier is at 9:30 a.m. The next high tide comes about 12 hours 25 minutes later. When is it?

    • 9:55 p.m.
    • 9:30 p.m.
    • 10:20 p.m.
    • 9:05 p.m.
  13. High tide at Ari's beach is at 2:00 p.m. Low tide comes about 6 hours 12 minutes later. When is low tide?

    • 8:12 p.m.
    • 8:00 p.m.
    • 7:48 a.m.
    • 8:50 p.m.
  14. High tide at Bo's harbor is at 10:40 p.m. The next high tide comes about 12 hours 25 minutes later. When is it?

    • 11:05 a.m.
    • 11:30 a.m.
    • 10:40 a.m.
    • 10:15 a.m.
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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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