The differential gravitational pull an object experiences because one side is closer to a massive body.

How is tidal force calculated?

Proportional to mass and the object's diameter, inversely proportional to distance cubed.

How do tidal forces cause ocean tides?

The Moon pulls more strongly on the nearest ocean water, creating stretching that produces tidal bulges.

Tidal Force Calculator - CalculatorLabs.net

Tidal Force Calculator

Tidal force is the difference in gravitational pull across an object's size, caused by one side being closer to a massive body than the other — it's what raises ocean tides on Earth and can stretch or even tear apart moons that stray too close to their planet..

Massive Body's Mass (kg)

Stretched Object's Mass (kg)

Object's Radius/Size (m)

Distance Between Centers (m)

Instant Result

Tidal Force -

What Is a Tidal Force Calculator?

How to Use This Tidal Force Calculator

Enter the mass of the nearby massive body (e.g. a planet), in kilograms.
Enter the mass of the object being stretched, in kilograms.
Enter that object's radius or characteristic size, in meters.
Enter the distance between the centers of the two bodies, in meters.
Click Calculate to get the differential tidal force.

Formula

Tidal Force = 2GMmr / d³

Worked Example

A 1000 kg, 5 m-radius satellite orbits a planet of mass 5.97×10²⁴ kg at a distance of 1×10⁷ m. Tidal Force = 2×6.674×10⁻¹¹×5.97×10²⁴×1000×5 / (1×10⁷)³ ≈ 0.399 N — small here, but grows sharply as distance shrinks.