Summary:
- Ozone is a pollutant, but the ozone layer in the stratosphere protects us from harmful solar rays.
- chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were widely used in spray cans, refrigerators, and many other products.
- CFCs are stable compounds that can remain in the atmosphere for hundreds of years.
- Sunlight breaks apart the molecules.
- This releases their chlorine ions (Cl) This breaks down the ozone molecules into an oxygen molecule and an oxygen ion.
- One CFC molecule can break down as many as 100,000 ozone molecules in this way.