Final answer:
Spring tides occur when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are aligned, leading to the highest high tides and happen twice every lunar cycle. Neap tides, which yield the lowest high tides, happen when the Sun and Moon are at right angles.
Step-by-step explanation:
Regarding spring tides, there are several key points to remember:
- They occur when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are aligned, causing the combined gravitational pull to be the strongest.
- They result in the highest high tides and consequently, but not necessarily the highest low tides.
- Spring tides occur twice in every lunar cycle, specifically during the new moon and the full moon phases.
Contrary to spring tides, neap tides occur when the Sun and Moon are at right angles to each other in relation to Earth, resulting in the lowest high tides and the highest low tides.