Question

How does the gravitational pull of the moon on the side of Earth facing the moon compare with its pull on the opposite side?

Answer 1

At any instant, comparison could be made in relation to distance between the centers of the Earth and Moon, and not otherwise..

Explanation:

The resultant pull is towards the center of the Earth along the line

of centers of the Earth and Moon.

This varies inversely as the square of the distance between the

centers.

For circular orbits it is constant,

For the elliptical orbit of the Moon, it is maximum at the (nearest

position) perigees and minimum at (farthest position) apogee.

Analogy: The same mass would weigh heavier in Scandinavian

countries, where the gravitational acceleration `g = 980_+ cm^2`

than at Rio de Janeiro, where `g = 980- cm^2`. This is due to the

fact that Scandinavia is nearer to the center of the Earth than Rio de

Janeiro, by about 8 km..