Final answer:
The claim that hurricanes weaken as they move farther north due to the decrease in the Coriolis effect is false. Hurricanes commonly lose strength due to encountering cooler waters and land, which disrupts their heat energy and structure. The correct option is B.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a hurricane weakens as it moves farther north because the Coriolis effect decreases with distance from the equator is false.
While it is true that the Coriolis effect is a deflection of moving objects when they are viewed in a rotating reference frame, such as Earth's rotation, this effect is not the primary reason hurricanes weaken as they move northward.
Instead, hurricanes typically lose strength as they move away from the warm tropical waters that fuel them, encountering cooler waters and landmasses which disrupt their structure and energy source.
The Coriolis force is indeed weaker at the equator and stronger near the poles, but hurricanes weaken primarily due to changes in temperature and heat energy, not directly due to changes in the Coriolis force.
The rotation of a hurricane is influenced by the Coriolis force, causing a counterclockwise spin in the Northern Hemisphere and a clockwise rotation in the Southern Hemisphere, but the weakening of hurricanes involves more complex meteorological factors.The correct option is B.