How does gravity affect tides and planetary orbits?

Gravity plays a crucial role in both tides and planetary orbits. Tides are primarily caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and, to a lesser extent, the Sun, which creates bulges of water on Earth, resulting in high and low tides. In planetary orbits, gravity governs the motion of celestial bodies, keeping planets in elliptical paths around stars, such as Earth's orbit around the Sun. The balance between gravitational attraction and the inertia of moving objects determines the stability of these orbits.