Responses (1)
What a great question, you must have a scientific mind to think of it!
This state is called a Tidal lock (enter "Moons Tidal lock" for more explanations). It is common in causing moons & asteroids to orbit a larger body with one side facing it. The tidal effects of the Moons gravity causes the earth seas levels to rise & fall. Water being a liquid can flow towards this point of attraction. However, when the earths gravity acts upon the Moons solid crust, it can only bulge towards the earth, this bulge as it moves accross the surface acts as a brake, slowing the moons original spin until it achieves its current state (rather than just dragging water about!).
Interestingly this means that the moons gravity has a stabilising effect on the earths rotational axis, which has a tendendancy to wobble like a slowing down top. Without this, the yearly seasons could be more severe & life survival more difficult.
Other things you could follow up which is linked to this gravitational interaction, is how the moons orbit is growing due to the earths spin rate moving the seas bulge just ahead of the moon, so creating a slingshot type action!
Hope this is of both help & further your scientific enquiry!
thank you very much ernest...my dad says you are very clever for being able to explain it to me so i could understand it...:)...i will look at tidal lock too...
Enter "Moons Tidal Lock" into Google for more explanations, it should have read!
Sorry for any confusion.