What causes the tides in the ocean?

Tides in the ocean are caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun on Earth’s oceans. The Moon exerts the strongest influence, pulling the water toward it, creating a bulge that results in a high tide. On the opposite side of Earth, another bulge occurs due to centrifugal forces. The Sun’s gravitational pull also affects tides, but its effect is weaker than that of the Moon. When the Earth, Moon, and Sun align during full and new moons, the gravitational forces combine, resulting in higher-than-usual high tides known as spring tides.