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Ozone Layer. Ozone, pronounced OH-Zohn, is ... the ozone layer above us. The
good news about the ozone layer is not always frequent. ...
The ozone layer. The Ozone layer Since the 1960's the ozone layer has greatly
depreciated because of man made compounds. The thinning ...
CFCs and the Ozone Layer (Report). ... Scientists measuring chemicals in the
stratosphere found that CFCs were damaging the ozone layer. ...
Ozone Layer. The Ozone Layer It acts as a sun block and filters out the dangerous
ultra-violet rays from the sun ("The Chemistry of the Ozone Layer"). ...
Article Summary Ozone Layer. Article Reflection: Ozone Layer Ozone: The Pollution
Paradox This article was based on information about ozone pollution. ...
Submitted by barros on June 12, 2006
Category: Science
Words: 2347 | Pages: 10
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The word Ozone originates from the Greek word "ozein" meaning to smell'. Ozone is a toxic, gaseous, bluish molecule which has a strong odour and contains three Oxygen atoms with the formula O3. The ozone is situated in the in the part of the atmosphere called the Stratosphere about 12-35 km above the Earth's surface [1]. Ozone is formed when an oxygen molecule (O2) in the stratosphere is broken into two oxygen atoms (O + O) due to it absorbing UV rays emitted by the Sun; this oxygen atom (O) then reacts with another oxygen molecule (O2) to produce an ozone molecule (O3).
[1]
Ozone either protects or harms organisms on Earth depending on the height at which it is found. In the high Stratosphere "good" ozone acts like a shield protecting Earth's flora and fauna against the Sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation. An excess of UV radiation increases the risk of contracting forms of skin cancers or ocular diseases. It may also weaken the natural immunity of human beings and animals. Although near the surface, in the air we breathe, ozone is a pollutant, which in large amounts causes damage to huamans, animals and plants. It makes up about 10% ozone, and is produced, not by the exhaust pipe of cars, the smoke stacks of power plants, or from any other pollution source but instead it is produced in polluted air by a combination of pollutants that chemically react when sunlight shines through the air.
If the ozone didn't absorb the harmful rays of the ultraviolet radiation, the earth would be uninhabitable; the ozone prevents UV penetration to the earth's surface. UV rays are short-wave, energetic electromagnetic radiation released by the sun. Much of the solar ultraviolet radiation is absorbed in the stratosphere, where the production and destruction of ozone is involved [2], thus this cycle has kept the ozone stable.
[2]
Ultraviolet Radiation come...
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