EVERYDAY SCIENCE

SCIENCE

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
How does the ozone layer benefit living things on Earth?
A
provides drinking water in the form of rain
B
protects life from the sun’s ultraviolet rays
C
is necessary for most living things to breathe
D
keeps Earth cool enough for life to survive
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -The ozone layer in the stratosphere absorbs a portion of the radiation from the sun, preventing it from reaching the planet’s surface. Most importantly, it absorbs the portion of UV light called UVB. UVB is a kind of ultraviolet light from the sun (and sun lamps) that has several harmful effects.

Detailed explanation-2: -When an ozone molecule absorbs UV-B, it comes apart into an oxygen molecule (O2) and a separate oxygen atom (O). Later, the two components can reform the ozone molecule (O3). By absorbing UV-B in the stratosphere, the ozone layer prevents harmful levels of this radiation from reaching Earth’s surface.

Detailed explanation-3: -The ozone layer is the common term for the high concentration of ozone that is found in the stratosphere around 15–30km above the earth’s surface. It covers the entire planet and protects life on earth by absorbing harmful ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation from the sun.

Detailed explanation-4: -It absorbs all the ultraviolet radiations and does not allow them to reach earth’s surface, thus protecting all living organisms from the harmful effects of UV radiations. The ozone layer absorbs the radiation and maintains the natural cycle of oxygen and ozone.

Detailed explanation-5: -The depletion of the ozone layer leads, on the average, to an increase in ground-level ultraviolet radiation, because ozone is an effective absorber of ultraviolet radiation. The Sun emits radiation over a wide range of energies, with about 2% in the form of high-energy, ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

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