Why doesn't the moon leave earth's orbit?

My mission is a bit more involved than doing math. The model does a very good job at predicting everything anyone wants to know about tides. So, no I am not trying to determine how much of the tide is gravity induced.

Thank you for clarifying that, and to the 3rd power is a good model. what wsas your source or your own idea?

The intuitive mind

The idea that the 3rd power law is bogus is mine. I spent a lot of time and energy on the research of the tide model which was designed by Newton and while it is excellent as a practical matter this model is based on observations Newton made that tides are higher when the Earth,moon and sun are in a line than when the three bodies are not aligned. So he just found a relationship that worked out to a third power of distance. But, as I have said before if the 3rd power of distance law is true then the tides should be 40% higher when the moon is nearest the Earth and this is not observed. It has been argued that the tide is 40% higher at sometime during the cycle. This is true, but, that is the spring/neap tidal cycle which has nothing whatsoever to do with the distance between Earth and moon.

I am curious about two moon related phenomena

1. How deeply does a tidal effect penetrate the planet's surface? Are there any models that relate chemistry, density, and phase to tidal distortion.

2. Can or do any of the solar system's moons have any satelites of their own?

Thanks MV

Jim

Not had time to look in recently, so apologies for tardy response time on this. More apologies for mentioning Spring and Neap tides above - these have nothing to do with the meat of the discussion and aren't what the numbers I quoted are calculating. It's just a formula for tidal force for any extra-terrestrial mass effecting the oceans. I have it on good authority that the tidal effect of the Moon at closest range does raise the tides 48%, not into simple linear 48% high seas raging tsunamis all over the planet, but 48% higher than the force when the Moon is at furthest distance. As I said before, what are <b>you</b> expecting the difference in tidal effects to be between nearest and farthest approach - this isn't clear in any of your posts?

As to the question of how far into Earth the tidal effect penetrates-I wonder about this too. I suspect the force is totally dissipated by the ocean, but, all models(and experts) say the force effects the solid crust and the mantle/core. As to the question of how much the tides are raised by the moon being at perigee and apogee there is no measured difference in the tides due to this cycle in fact or in models.