0
UV is commonly broken up into three rough groupings called UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. Oxygen and nitrogen absorb UV-C and break apart. Some of the oxygen forms ozone. Ozone absorbs UV-C and some UV-B and breaks apart. Ozone also absorbs UV-B and reradiates it randomly. UV-A (the sutff good for tanning) is pretty much just passed thru to the surface of the Earth. So some UV is blocked by oxygen (UV-C), just not any of UV-B, which directly strikes our DNA since we are largely transparent to UV-B and DNA is not.
What else can I help you with?
Why oxygen doesn't completely change into ozone?
When oxygen absorbs energy in the form of ultraviolet radiation, some molecules can form ozone (O3) instead of remaining as diatomic oxygen (O2). This process is not energetically favorable under normal conditions, so only a small percentage of oxygen molecules will transform into ozone.
How does ozone build up in the atmosphere?
Ozone builds up in the atmosphere through a chemical reaction involving ultraviolet (UV) radiation and oxygen molecules (O2). UV radiation from the sun breaks apart O2 molecules, which then combine with other O2 molecules to form ozone (O3). This process primarily occurs in the stratosphere, creating the ozone layer that protects Earth from harmful UV radiation.
Why ozone is mostly found in stratosphere?
Ozone is mostly found in the stratosphere because this layer of the atmosphere absorbs and filters out the majority of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Ozone molecules in the stratosphere are formed when oxygen molecules are broken apart by UV radiation and then recombine to form O3 molecules. This helps to protect life on Earth from the harmful effects of excessive UV radiation.
Which part of the solar radiation is absorbed by the ozone layer?
The ultraviolet radiation is absorbed by the ozone layer. The ozone molecules do not allow only the ultraviolet radiations to pass through.
What happens during the ozone cycle?
Short Answer: It is the continuous formation of ozone from oxygen, and the decay of that ozone back to oxygen. Oxygen absorbs UV-B or more energetic radiation (most commonly from our Sun), and dissociates into two separate oxygen atoms. Some of these singlet oxygen atoms combine with an oxygen atom to form ozone. Ozone has several decay paths, but all leave an oxygen molecule at the end: # Ozone encounters another ozone or singlet oxygen and only oxygen results. Ozone is inherently unstable and this does happen. # Ozone absobs UV-B or more energetic radiation (again from the Sun most commonly) and dissociates into an oxygen molecule and a singlet oxygen atom (some few of which will make ozone again). # Ozone encounters the long list of things that ozone will attack, and ozone loses a single oxygen atom to the reaction. Only #3 removes net oxygen from the "pool" of oxygen. There are additional pathways of forming ozone, where a nitrogen molecule temporarily stores the singlet oxygen, until an oxygen molecule is encountered and the payload can be delivered. There are mechanisms that block this "handoff" also, and they also remove oxygen from the "pool".
Why oxygen doesn't completely change into ozone?
When oxygen absorbs energy in the form of ultraviolet radiation, some molecules can form ozone (O3) instead of remaining as diatomic oxygen (O2). This process is not energetically favorable under normal conditions, so only a small percentage of oxygen molecules will transform into ozone.
How does ozone build up in the atmosphere?
Ozone builds up in the atmosphere through a chemical reaction involving ultraviolet (UV) radiation and oxygen molecules (O2). UV radiation from the sun breaks apart O2 molecules, which then combine with other O2 molecules to form ozone (O3). This process primarily occurs in the stratosphere, creating the ozone layer that protects Earth from harmful UV radiation.
Why ozone is mostly found in stratosphere?
Ozone is mostly found in the stratosphere because this layer of the atmosphere absorbs and filters out the majority of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Ozone molecules in the stratosphere are formed when oxygen molecules are broken apart by UV radiation and then recombine to form O3 molecules. This helps to protect life on Earth from the harmful effects of excessive UV radiation.
Which part of the solar radiation is absorbed by the ozone layer?
The ultraviolet radiation is absorbed by the ozone layer. The ozone molecules do not allow only the ultraviolet radiations to pass through.
What happens during the ozone cycle?
Short Answer: It is the continuous formation of ozone from oxygen, and the decay of that ozone back to oxygen. Oxygen absorbs UV-B or more energetic radiation (most commonly from our Sun), and dissociates into two separate oxygen atoms. Some of these singlet oxygen atoms combine with an oxygen atom to form ozone. Ozone has several decay paths, but all leave an oxygen molecule at the end: # Ozone encounters another ozone or singlet oxygen and only oxygen results. Ozone is inherently unstable and this does happen. # Ozone absobs UV-B or more energetic radiation (again from the Sun most commonly) and dissociates into an oxygen molecule and a singlet oxygen atom (some few of which will make ozone again). # Ozone encounters the long list of things that ozone will attack, and ozone loses a single oxygen atom to the reaction. Only #3 removes net oxygen from the "pool" of oxygen. There are additional pathways of forming ozone, where a nitrogen molecule temporarily stores the singlet oxygen, until an oxygen molecule is encountered and the payload can be delivered. There are mechanisms that block this "handoff" also, and they also remove oxygen from the "pool".
What atoms make an ozone molecule?
Ozone is a molecule composed of three oxygen atoms. The chemical symbol of ozone is O3 as the symbol of oxygen atoms is O.Most ozone found in our atmosphere is formed by an interaction between oxygen molecules and ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun. (Oxygen molecules make up about 21% of all gases in the earth's atmosphere; they consist of two atoms of oxygen and are therefore labeled O2).When ultraviolet (UV) radiation hits an oxygen molecule, it may cause the molecule to break apart into single atoms of oxygen (O2 + UV -> O + O). These atoms are very reactive, and a single oxygen atom can combine with a molecule of oxygen to form ozone (O2+ O -> O3).The individual ozone molecules make up what we call the ozone layer. It is not, however, an especially thick layer there are usually less than three ozone molecules for every ten million molecules of air. That is why ozone is known as a trace gas, meaning that only trace (very small) amounts are present. We are fortunate that these small amounts make a big difference.
Which molecule do not absorb microwave radiation?
Ozone does not absorb microwave. It only absorbs UV.
When the ozone molecule splits does it make another ozone molecule or many?
When the ozone molecule splits, it forms individual oxygen atoms. These oxygen atoms can either combine with other oxygen molecules to form new ozone molecules or combine with other molecules in the atmosphere. The process of ozone splitting and reforming is part of the Earth's natural ozone cycle.
Why is the ozone layer concentrated only in one part of the atmosphere?
The ozone layer is concentrated in the stratosphere because this is where the majority of ozone molecules are formed through the interaction of oxygen and ultraviolet radiation from the sun. The stratosphere's composition and conditions are optimal for the accumulation and retention of ozone molecules, creating a distinct layer that helps shield Earth from harmful ultraviolet rays.
Is ozone only found in the troposphere?
No, ozone is found in all layers of the atmosphere. In the troposphere, ozone is considered a pollutant, because it contributes to smog and gives a bitter taste to the air, but in the stratosphere and ionosphere, ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation and reduces our risk of sunburn and skin cancer. Ozone is naturally produced when radiation strikes oxygen and ionizes it, and the oxygen ions recombine into ozone.
What chemicals make up bad ozone?
Ozone is a molecule composed of three oxygen atoms (unlike the normal oxygen molecules which contains only two oxygen atoms). All ozone has the same composition, there is only one kind of ozone. Whether ozone is considered to be good or bad depends upon the location of the ozone, not the composition. Ozone at high altitudes is good, because it protects us from ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Ozone at ground level is bad, because it is harmful to our health if we inhale it.
How is the ozone layer created?
Ozone production in general:Ozone in the ozone layer is formed when UV-C from the Sun dissociates an oxygen molecule, and some of those now-loose oxygen molecules connect with an oxygen molecule to form ozone.Ozone in a rain storm is made by lightning dissociating oxygen molecules, and the rest occurs as above.Ozone in tropospheric ozone pollution is directly made by internal combustion engines, but mostly by photoproduction when NOx (from combustion exhaust), and VOC (unburned fuel and "cow farts") are converted by violet or more energetic light into ozone and nitrogen gas (and the VOC just moves on).Ozone in medical / industry / water treatment is made either by UV lamps (for low concentrations) or by electrical discharge dissociating oxygen molecules, and the rest occurs as above.Ozone in the bloodstream is made by white blood cells (along with other powerful oxidants) in very tiny areas, when fighting infection at a site. The resultant of this fight is called "inflammation" or "swelling".In the upper atmosphere: Light from the Sun breaks apart oxygen molecules (UV wavelengths of 215nm or shorter). Some of this monatomic oxygen combines with nitrogen molecules, some with oxygen molecules to make ozone, but most with other monatomic oxygen. Some of the nitrogen+oxygen molecules can catch lower energy light (still UV, but more available) and make ozone also. As the density of the atmosphere increases, this happens more and more often, until there is little / no UV-C available to break apart more oxygen molecules."Running out of UV-C" happens in the upper atmsophere. This is the bottom of the stratosphere / top of the troposphere, where ozone is at its peak concentration... the 'ozone layer". The atmosphere increases with density as the light comes from higher elevation, and eventually, all the UV-C has been absorbed. So ozone increases with decreasing elevation until it gets to the bottom of the stratosphere (where the ozone layer is located), where its concentration falls off pretty sharply with further decreases in altitude.Scavengers of ozone are water vapor (decays ozone making hydrogen peroxide, blocks the nitrogen+oxygen path of ozone formation), any compound / process that consumes oxygen, and catalysts (such as some chlorine compounds) that convert ozone back to oxygen. Absorption of UV-C or UV-B by ozone, also breaks apart the ozone molecule (only some of which reforms as ozone later).So the concentration of ozone at any given point is a balance of ozone production, ozone diffusion from adjacent areas, and ozone decay from just time and contaminants from other sources (both natural and Man-caused).
