Why is the effect of the sun on earths tides less than that on the moon?

The moon has a much greater effect on Earth's tides than the sun, even though the sun is much larger and more massive. This is primarily due to the moon's closer proximity to Earth. The gravitational force between two objects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. While the sun's mass is significantly larger than the moon's, its greater distance from Earth reduces its tidal influence to about half that of the moon.