Final answer:
The statement is false because hurricanes get their energy from warm ocean waters and the release of latent heat, not from the temperature contrast of air masses. Mid-latitude cyclones get their energy from the contrast between warm and cold air masses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that hurricanes derive energy from the temperature contrast of air masses is false. Instead, hurricanes derive their energy from the warm ocean waters and the release of latent heat when moist air rises and condenses to form clouds and precipitation. This process is fueled by water temperatures that are typically higher than 80 °F. Hurricanes form over warm ocean surfaces where the air heats up, rises, and creates a cyclonic weather pattern due to the Coriolis force, where in the northern hemisphere, hurricanes rotate counterclockwise and in the southern hemisphere, they rotate clockwise.
Mid-latitude cyclones, on the other hand, derive their energy primarily from the horizontal temperature contrasts that exist along boundaries between warm and cold air masses. They involve interactions between warm and cold air masses and typically develop along the polar front where these air masses meet.