The Gulf of Mexico experiences high and low tides twice each day. Which of the following is most likely the cause?
The force of the Earth spinning on its axis.
O The gravitational pull of the Moon on the Earth.
O The upward pressure of volcanoes erupting on the ocean's floor.
O All of the above statements are correct.

Visualize the problem and identify special cases first examine the problem by drawing a picture and visualizing the motion. apply newton's 2nd law, ∑f⃗ =ma⃗ , to each body in your mind. don't worry about which quantities are given. think about the forces on each body: how are these consistent with the direction of the acceleration for that body? can you think of any special cases that you can solve quickly now and use to test your understanding later? one special case in this problem is if m2=0, in which case block 1 would simply fall freely under the acceleration of gravity: a⃗ 1=−gj^.