Does the Gulf Stream impact travel in the North Atlantic Ocean?
Can you determine the best course to travel?

Objectives
Students will be able to:

determine the effect of the Gulf Stream current on a ship

Materials
computers with Internet access
Student Worksheet, Level One or Level Two


Procedure
Note: To account for different educational levels, this lesson has been split into two parts.
Level One - Introduction to vectors without trigonometric functions.
Level Two - Good understanding of vectors and can perform trigonometric functions.

Level One
Use the current velocities of the Gulf Stream to answer the questions on the Student Worksheet.
Note: 1 meter/sec (m/s) is equal to 2.2 miles per hour (mph)

1. What is the fastest speed of the Gulf Stream this week?

2. How many miles per hour does that equal?

3. Approximately, what is the location(s) of part of the Gulf Stream which is moving the fastest?  (Use Latitude and Longitude from real-time map above)

4. If a ship was at this location, what would its Forward speed be if the ship's engines were not running?

5. If a ship was steaming at 10mph, how fast would travel going in the same direction of the current?

6. If a ship was located at 37 Deg. North Latitude by 67 Deg. West Longitude what speed current would it be fighting?

7. If a ship was located at 40 Deg. North Latitude by 73 Deg. West Longitude?

Saved Image: In case the Real Time Data site is not functioning.



Level Two
Part One
Calculate the resultant velocity of a ship in the Gulf Stream current.

Use the current velocities of the Gulf Stream to answer the questions on the Student Worksheet.
Note: 1 meter/sec (m/s) is equal to 2.2 miles per hour (mph) 

1. What is the fastest velocity of the Gulf Stream this week at 39^oN latitude and 69^oW longitude?

2. Calculate resultant velocity of Ship #1: Steaming 10mph due East (90^o) at 39^oN latitude and 69^oW longitude

3. Calculate resultant velocity of Ship #2: Steaming 8mph due South (180^o) at 39^oN latitude and 69^oW longitude
(Remember to change m/s to mph)

Saved Image: In case the real time data site is not functioning. 

Example: Click Here for an example diagram.


Part 2
Calculate the resultant velocity taking into account wind velocity.

Use the coastal monitoring network to obtain the wind speed and direction of winds at the Long Beach Island, New Jersey. We will assume the wind speed and direction will be the same on the coast as they are directly off the coast. Use your answers from Part One to answer the Assessment questions.


Assessment
1. What is speed and direction of the wind at Long Beach Island, NJ?
2. Calculate resultant velocity of Ship #1
3. Calculate resultant velocity of Ship #2
(Remember to change m/s to mph)

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