Our Environment — Part 2: The ozone layer and managing garbage: visual lesson, CBSE Class 10 Science

Lesson

Protecting our environment

Part 2 — the ozone layer that shields life from ultraviolet radiation, how human-made chemicals damaged it, and how our garbage affects the environment.

In this lesson you will

Explain how ozone forms in the upper atmosphere and how it protects life
Explain how CFCs deplete the ozone layer and what has been done about it
Classify waste as biodegradable or non-biodegradable
Propose ways to reduce, reuse, recycle and safely dispose of waste

Concept

What is ozone, and where is it?

Ozone ( $\ce{O3}$ ) is a molecule of three oxygen atoms. In the upper atmosphere it forms a layer that shields the Earth from the Sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation. At ground level ozone is a deadly poison.

Table: in the upper atmosphere ozone is helpful because it absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation; near the ground it is a harmful, poisonous gas that damages lungs and plants
Where	Ozone is	Why
Upper atmosphere (stratosphere)	Helpful	Absorbs harmful UV radiation
Near the ground	Harmful	A poisonous gas that damages lungs and plants

Diagram

The ozone shield

The ozone layer absorbs most of the UV radiation, which can cause skin cancer in human beings and harm other living things.

Cookies