What Causes the ‘Tide’ in the Ocean?

Imagine you're on a swing. When someone pushes you, you go higher, that’s like how the Moon pulls the ocean up to make high tides. But when the Moon is on the other side of Earth, it also pulls the water from the opposite side, making another high tide. That means there are usually two high tides and two low tides each day.

The Moon’s gravity tugs the ocean like a giant invisible hand. When you’re close to the Moon, the water rises, that’s high tide. When the Moon is far away, the water falls, that’s low tide.

Sometimes the Sun also helps pull on the oceans. This makes tides even bigger, these are called spring tides.