What kind of tide occurs during full and new moons?

• A. Spring tide
• B. Neap tide
• C. High tide
• D. Low tide

Answer: (A)

Tides are driven by the alignment of the Moon and Sun with Earth. When the Sun, Moon, and Earth line up during full or new moons, their gravitational pulls reinforce each other, producing a larger difference between high and low tides. This stronger pattern is called a spring tide, which has higher high tides and lower low tides, giving the greatest tidal range. The idea that the tide becomes especially large here isn’t about the season; it’s about the gravitational forces lining up. In contrast, during the quarter moons the Sun and Moon pull from directions that partially cancel, leading to a neap tide with a smaller tidal range. So, during full and new moons, the kind of tide is the spring tide.