Tides Video and Question

Front

What are tides?

Back

Tides are the regular rise and fall of sea levels caused by the gravitational forces of the Moon and Sun.

Front

What causes neap tides?

Back

Neap tides occur when the Moon and Sun are at right angles to each other, resulting in lower high tides and higher low tides.

Front

What causes spring tides?

Back

Spring tides occur during the new moon and full moon phases when the gravitational forces of the Moon and Sun align, resulting in higher high tides and lower low tides.

Front

What is the difference between spring tides and neap tides?

Back

Spring tides have the highest high tides and lowest low tides, while neap tides have the lowest high tides and highest low tides.

Front

How often do spring tides occur?

Back

Spring tides occur approximately every two weeks, during the new moon and full moon.

Front

How often do neap tides occur?

Back

Neap tides occur approximately every two weeks, about a week after spring tides.

Front

What is a king tide?

Back

King tides are the highest predicted high tides that occur during a new or full moon, often leading to coastal flooding.

Front

What role does the Moon play in tides?

Back

The Moon's gravitational pull is the primary force that causes tides on Earth.

Front

What role does the Sun play in tides?

Back

The Sun's gravitational pull also affects tides, but to a lesser extent than the Moon.

Front

What happens to tides during a solar eclipse?

Back

During a solar eclipse, the alignment of the Earth, Moon, and Sun can lead to higher than normal tides, known as eclipse tides.