close to the equator why cant hurricanes form there?

Question

An important thing happens as you get closer to the equator, hurricanes
cannot form there, why not?
a. Because ocean temperatures are too cold
b. Because there are no winds here
c. Because the atmosphere is too moist
d. Because there is no Coriolis Force there

Answer 1

Hurricanes form in the tropics near the equator. They can't form right on the equator because there is no Coriolis Force right on the equator. The Coriolis Force causes the hurricane to spin.

Answer 2

The Coriolis effect is proportional to the sine of the latitude. As the latitude of the equator is zero, the sine is zero and the Coriolis effect is zero. Hurricanes will not form within 5° of the equator because Coriolis is not strong enough within 5° to get the system turning.

Added:
"would in all likely hood prevent the hurricane from crossing the equator"

Hurricanes cannot cross the equator. It is impossible. The steering winds are such that they always move away from the equator.

Answer 3

d. - very little to no Coriolis within 5 degrees of the equator, so one is unlikely to form. A well developed hurricane may try a bee-line for the equator, but the same force that forms the hurricanes would in all likely hood prevent the hurricane from crossing the equator.