Question

During which phase of the moon do neap tides occur?

Answer 1

Answer:

The answer is during the moon's Quarter Phases                              

Explanation:

During the moon's quarter phases the sun and moon work at right angles, making the bulges to cancel each other. The result is a smaller variation between high and low tides. This is known as a Neap tide.

Neap tides are particularly weak tides. They occur when the gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun are perpendicular to one another (with respect to the Earth). Neap tides occur during quarter moons.

What is a Bulge?

Earth's gravitational pull is so powerful that it creates a small bulge on the surface of the moon.

Cheers!

Answer 2

Answer:

First Quarter and Third Quarter.

Explanation:

Tides are formed as a consequence of the differentiation of gravity due to the Moon across to the Earth sphere.

Since gravity variates with the distance:

$F = G\frac{m1\cdot m2}{r^{2}}$ (1)

Where m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects that are interacting and r is the distance between them.

For example, seeing the image below, point A is closer to the Moon than point b, and at the same time the center of mass of the Earth will feel more attracted to the Moon than point B. Therefore, that creates a tidal bulge in point A and point B.

When the Sun and the Moon are alight with respect to the Earth, then the Sun tidal force contributes to the tidal force of the Moon over the Earth. That makes the high tides even higher (spring tides).

               

However, when the Sun is not in the same line than the Moon (the Moon is at 90° with respect to the Sun), then the low tides are higher and the high tides are lower. That scenario is known as neap tides.

           

Therefore, that happens when the Moon is at First Quarter and Third Quarter.