Summary:
- Ozone (O3) depletion in the atmosphere is of significant concern.
- This gas serves as a protection against the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
- Ozone is naturally depleted in addition to the depletion caused by human-made chemicals.
- The depletion reaction is a two-step process.
- The free radical is not a part of the overall equation, but can be detected in the lab.
- An intermediate is always formed in an early step in the mechanism and consumed in a later step.
- The role of intermediates in reaction mechanisms is described.