How does the sun affect our tides?

In simple terms, the effect of gravity is directly proportional to mass and inversely proportional to distance. The Sun is more massive than the Moon, but its effect on Earth tides is less than that of the Moon because of its distance from the planet. The ratio of the Moon to the Sun on tides is 7/3.

The gravitational pull of the sun, combined with the moon's gravitational pull, influences the Earth's tides. When the sun, moon, and Earth are aligned, during full or new moon phases, their gravitational forces reinforce each other, leading to higher high tides and lower low tides, known as spring tides. When they are at right angles to each other, during the first and last quarter moon phases, their gravitational forces partially cancel each other out, resulting in lower high tides and higher low tides, known as neap tides.