Formation of Ozone
As we learned in the last unit, UV rays are very harmful because of their high frequency and high energy.The ozone layer is important to block most of the "bad" UV from hitting the Earth's surface. Below is a diagram of how the energy of UV is used to break apart Oxygen molecules that actually creates MORE UV. It is a perfect process!
ChlorofluorocarbonsCFC's are the molecules that destroy ozone. This is because chlorine is very reactive and destroys the O3 molecules. This is a big problem because this is what the UV is supposed to do. Therefore, MORE CFC's mean UV rays get through into the atmosphere. Use the chart to the right to help you understand this process.
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Ozone Depletion
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