Ozone – by Emilia Grodzka, 3gc

Chemistry is a branch of science which is logical and quite simple but it may
be tricky to fully understand it. Basically you have to think.
Recently on our lessons we’ve been learning about oxygen which is related to
the topic of this paper.
As you may know, some chemical elements can exist in more than one
molecular form. What it means is that at the same time there is e.g. P 2 and P4,
S2, S6 and S8. This property is called allotropy. Examples of those elements are
phosphorus and sulhur, as I mentioned before; bromine, antimony (Sb) and of
course oxygen. Atoms of oxygen together can form O2 and O3. And that brings
us to the topic of this paper: O3 – ozone.
Properties and reactions:
Ozone in an allotropic form of oxygen. It’s a colorless gas or it can be slightly
blue. When cooled in liquid air it gets liquified to a deep blue colored liquid.
Ozone is more reactive than oxygen and also very unstable.
Pure ozone decomposes explosively, while ozonised oxygen decomposes
relatively slowly at room temperature. Decomposition is instantaneous at
about 573 K (about 300°C).
Here we have the reaction:
573 K
2O3 3O2
Also ozone reduces peroxides to oxides and in return gets reduced to oxygen.
For example, with H2O2 and BaO2, it gives H2O and BaO.
Here we have the reactions:
With water:
H2O + O3 H2O + 2O2
With barium peroxide:
BaO2 + O3 BaO + 2O2
Ozone is about 1.5 times heavier than air and has a vapor density of 24. Ozone
is easily soluble in water (even easier thank oxygen in its most common form,
49% by volume at 0°C). Ozone is also readily soluble in turpentine oil and acetic
acid. Turpentine oil is a treatment for joint and muscle pain.
Acetic acid (ethanoic acid) can be used for producing vinyl. This might be
unhelpful information but I included it anyway.
Another ozone property is that it has an irritating chlorine-like odor. When
inhaled it can cause headaches and nuasea. In smaller proportions it smells
pleasant.
Its boiling point is 162.2 K (about -111.9oC) and melting point for black crystals
ozone solidifies into when it reaches the boiling point is 80.6 K (about 192.5 oC).
What’s curious ozone has a property of darkening silver. Silver when warmed
with ozone gets blackened because of reduction of the oxide formed in
different stages of the raction I wrote below.
2Ag + O3 Ag2O + O2
Ag2O + O3 2Ag + 2O2

Presence, Ozone layer:

Ozone is formed in the upper part of the atmosphere because of solar
radiation affecting oxygen. Everybody has heard of the ozone shield (also called
ozone layer). It is a layer in stratosphere which works like a screen preventing
the Earth from being harmed by the UV light. The ozone layer absorbs 97 to 99
percent of the Sun's medium-frequency ultraviolet light (mostly UV-B) which is
harmful for us. This way organisms on the planet and their natural habitat are
being protected. Actually some of the UV light is still let to the planet so we
have to use sunscreeen in the summer not tu get burned.
The ozone layer is 30 to 50 kilometres above surface of the Earth.
Did you know planet Venus also has such a layer? But that one is thinner and
further from the planet’s surface.
Ozone hole:
Ozone hole is what has been fromed due to deconcentation of ozone in the
ozone layer so that dangerous UV is free to reach the planet’s surface.
The ozone hole has been formed because of destruction of ozone in the
atmosphere due to freons. Freons are compounds composed of carbon,
fluorine and chlorine as a result of UV radiation. Chlorine reacts with ozone and
that leads to oxides and ordinary oxygen forming. Two molecules of chlorine
oxide combine and turn into chlorine dioxide. Then individual chlorine atoms
are being released and then they break down ozone molecules. A hole forms
and the ozone layer in getting destroyed. These reactions occur until the ozone
particles are used or chlorine is removed due to other chemical reactions.