Consider the following statements with reference to neap tides: 1. Normally, there is a seven-day interval between two neap tides. 2. At this time, the Sun and the Moon are at right angles to each other. 3. The Moon's attraction is diminished by the counteracting force of the Sun's gravitational pull. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Neap tides occur when the Sun and Moon are at right angles (quadrature) relative to the Earth [1]. During this configuration, which happens during the first and third quarter moon phases, the gravitational pull of the Sun partially cancels out or counteracts the gravitational pull of the Moon [2]. This results in a diminished tidal range where high tides are lower and low tides are higher than average [1]. Statement 1 is incorrect because the seven-day interval typically exists between a spring tide and a neap tide, not between two consecutive neap tides [1]. Since neap tides occur at the first and third quarters, the interval between two neap tides is approximately 14 to 15 days, following the lunar cycle [3]. Therefore, only statements 2 and 3 are correct.

Sources

1. [1] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 13: Movements of Ocean Water > Tides based on the Sun, Moon and the Earth Positions > p. 110
2. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 32: Ocean Movements Ocean Currents And Tides > 32.2. Tides > p. 500
3. [3] https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/springtide.html