Discovery of Ozone
Asa : That looks like a really boring book, Casa.
I am going for a swim.
Casa : Good!
Don't forget to apply your sunblock before you go, or you will come back sun burnt.
Asa : Oh!
I forgot the sun's UV rays can burn my skin.
Casa : Ha!
Ha!
Yes.
Thankfully we have the ozone layer to protect us.
Asa : But doesn't the ozone layer have a hole in it?
Casa : Yes, the ozone layer has been damaged.
But the hole is the smallest right now, in the last 30 years.
Asa : Why do we need the ozone layer so much?
Casa : Well I am reading a book on evolution of life.
And the ozone plays a very important part in evolution of life on earth!
Isn't that interesting?
Asa : Not as interesting as swimming in the sea......Ok!
Tell me!
Casa : Let's find out!
Asa : Where are we Casa?
Casa : We are at the beginning of time.
Casa : Ha!
Ha!
Without ozone, life on earth would not have evolved.
The first single celled organism didn't need oxygen for its development.
This type of environment existed on earth 300 million years ago.
As primitive life forms started to evolve, they started to release very small amounts
of oxygen in the atmosphere, through photosynthesis.
And slowly all this oxygen became the ozone layer in the stratosphere!
Asa : Really?
Photosynthesis gives oxygen.
Am I right?
Casa : Haha!
Yes!
Ozone is a form of oxygen.
The oxygen that we breathe is two atoms of oxygen bound together.
Ozone on the other hand is made of three atoms of oxygen bound together.
Ozone was first created in a lab by the Dutch chemist Martinus van Marum, in 1785.
He noticed an unusual smell, after some experiments.
Half a century later, Christian Friedrich Schonbein noticed the same smell following
a bolt of lightning.
He was successful in isolating the chemical and called it ozone, which means to smell.
Oxygen is converted to ozone by the radiation from the UV radiation in sunlight, creating
a shield.
Asa : Oh now I understand!
So that is how, ozone protects us from the harmful UV rays.
Casa : Yes!
That is good ozone.
Ozone can be caused due to pollution and be bad also causing the Green House Effect and
smog in the troposphere.
Asa : Really?
Casa : Yes!
Asa : Ok!
Come let's go for a swim!
Casa : Haha!
Yes!