what position is the moon in during a spring tide?
During a spring tide, the position of the Moon is either at the new moon phase or the full moon phase.
To understand why, let's first define what a spring tide is. A spring tide occurs when the gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun combine to cause the highest tides. It happens twice a month, during the new moon and the full moon phases.
During a new moon, the Moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun. In this arrangement, the gravitational forces of both the Moon and the Sun are aligned, creating a stronger combined gravitational pull on the Earth's oceans. This results in higher high tides and lower low tides, known as spring tides.
Similarly, during a full moon, the Earth is positioned between the Moon and the Sun. Again, the gravitational forces of both the Moon and the Sun are aligned, producing a stronger gravitational pull on the oceans. This causes higher high tides and lower low tides, also known as spring tides.
So, to summarize, during a spring tide, the Moon is either in the new moon phase or the full moon phase.
From Google:
The gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun both contribute to the tides. Spring tides occur during the full moon and the new moon. During the moon's quarter phases the sun and moon work at right angles, causing the bulges to cancel each other.