SOLAR SYSTEM

UNIVERSE

ATMOSPHERIC BASIC PROPERTIES

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Why is the ozone layer so important?
A
Because it traps most of the sun’s heat.
B
Because it contains most of the earth’s oxygen.
C
Because it blocks harmful ultraviolet rays.
D
Because it allows ultraviolet rays to warm the stratosphere.
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -The ozone layer acts as a shield for life on Earth. Ozone is good at trapping a type of radiation called ultraviolet radiation, or UV light, which can penetrate organisms’ protective layers, like skin. This then may damage DNA molecules in plants and animals. There are two major types of UV light: UVB and UVA.

Detailed explanation-2: -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-3: -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-4: -The ozone layer filters out most of the sun’s harmful UV radiation and is therefore crucial to life on Earth.

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.

Detailed explanation-6: -Higher up, in the stratosphere, the ozone layer absorbs solar ultra-violet radiation and affects how much of the Sun’s heat is radiated back into space. The ozone layer shields us from the harmful effects of excessive UV radiation, which can lead to sunburn, skin cancer and eye damage.

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