Question

why do we have 2 high tides and two low tides every 24 hours?

Answer 1

The two high tides and two low tides that occur every 24 hours are due to the gravitational pull of the moon and sun on the Earth's oceans. As the Earth rotates on its axis, the gravitational pull of the moon, and to a lesser extent the sun, causes the water in the oceans to be attracted towards them. This attraction causes a bulge in the ocean on the side closest to the moon and on the opposite side of the Earth. These two bulges create two high tides in a 24-hour period. The areas between these two bulges experience lower water levels, which create the two low tides.