When the gravitational pulls of the sun and moon partially cancel each other out, Earth experiences neap tides.

Here's why:

* Spring Tides: When the sun, moon, and Earth are aligned (during new and full moons), their gravitational forces combine, creating stronger high tides and lower low tides. This is called a spring tide.

* Neap Tides: When the sun and moon are at right angles to each other (during quarter moons), their gravitational pulls partially cancel each other out. This results in weaker high tides and higher low tides, creating a smaller difference between high and low tides.