Question

Can you believe that an ocean current may have helped the United States become the United States? Before the Revolutionary War, Benjamin Franklin–you may know him as one of the founders of our country—and his cousin mapped a strong current called the Gulf Stream, which flows north along the East Coast of the United States. Understanding where the Gulf Stream flows was helpful for sailors coming and going from East Coast ports because ships that sailed in the same direction as the Gulf Stream, or cut straight across it, could go faster than ships that tried to sail against it. Some people have even claimed that this knowledge of the Gulf Stream might have helped America win the Revolutionary War, because American ships were able to travel around the area more quickly than British ships Use evidence from the part of the article you reread to answer the Investigation Question, What determines how ocean currents move?

Answer 1

Ocean currents are influenced by a combination of factors including wind patterns, the Earth's rotation (Coriolis effect), temperature differences, and the shape of the coastline. In the case of the Gulf Stream, it is influenced by the winds blowing across the Atlantic Ocean and the Coriolis effect caused by the Earth's rotation. The Gulf Stream flows north along the East Coast of the US due to these factors, and understanding these influences helped sailors navigate more efficiently during the Revolutionary War.