This document is a lab report for Harvard’s Freshman Seminar, “The Role of Government” (FRSEMR 42C), focused on ocean circulation. It details a virtual lab activity where students track simulated bottles using buoy data to analyze ocean currents.
This assignment is intended for students enrolled in the course and is completed as part of their coursework. It’s designed to provide practical experience in interpreting scientific data and applying it to understand real-world phenomena – specifically, how ocean currents function and influence global systems.
This lab report does *not* provide a comprehensive lesson on oceanography. It assumes a baseline understanding of ocean currents and focuses on the application of data analysis skills. Students will still need to consult course materials and external resources to fully grasp the underlying scientific principles.
The full document includes an introduction to ocean buoys, a problem statement, a hypothesis section, detailed procedures for the virtual lab, sample data (latitude and longitude coordinates over time for three bottles), questions prompting analysis of the data, and a conclusion section for students to summarize their findings. This preview only provides a summary of the document’s structure and purpose.