On which days do the spring tides occur? i. New moon ii. First quarter of the moon iii. Third quarter of the moon iv. Full moon

On which days do the spring tides occur? i. New moon ii. First quarter of the moon iii. Third quarter of the moon iv. Full moon Correct Answer i, and iv

The correct answer is i, and iv.

Key Points

• Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun, and the rotation of the Earth.
• There are two types of tides namely, spring tides and neap tides depending upon the relative positions of the sun, the earth and the moon.
• Spring tides:
  • When the sun, the moon and the earth are in a straight line, the height of the tide will be higher. 
  • These are called spring tides and they occur twice a month.
  • One during the full moon period and another during the new moon period. Hence option 3 is correct.

Additional Information

• Neap tides:
  • Normally, there is a seven-day interval between the spring tides and neap tides. 
  • At this time the sun and moon are at right angles to each other.
  • The forces of the sun and moon tend to counteract one another. 
  • The Moon’s attraction, though more than twice as strong as the sun’s, is diminished by the counteracting force of the sun’s gravitational pull.
  • Like spring tides, these tides also occur twice a month.