Alan lives along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. He decides to record the difference between the high and low tides along the shore every day for three months. If Alan is comparing these observations with observations of the lunar cyle, which of the following is he most likely to find?

Question

Alan lives along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. He decides to record the difference between the high and low tides along the shore every day for three months. If Alan is comparing these observations with observations of the lunar cyle, which of the following is he most likely to find?
 A. 
The difference between high and low tide is greatest during first quarter and last quarter.
 B. 
The difference between high and low tide is greatest during full moons and new moons.
 C. 
The difference between high and low tide is greatest during last quarter and is the least during first quarter.
 D. 
The difference between high and low tide is the least during full moons and new moons.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The most accurate observation that Alan is likely to find when comparing the difference between high and low tides with the lunar cycle is:

B. The difference between high and low tide is greatest during full moons and new moons.

This is due to the fact that during full moons and new moons, the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun are aligned (either in a straight line or in opposition), which leads to greater gravitational pull and, consequently, higher high tides and lower low tides. This results in a larger tidal range.