Question

Explain the Chapman Cycle:

1 - What photons are involved?
2 - What are the products of the steps?

Answer 1

The Chapman Cycle describes the interaction of solar UV photons with oxygen molecules to create atomic oxygen and ozone, which are crucial for maintaining the earth's ozone layer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Chapman Cycle

The Chapman Cycle details the natural process that takes place in the stratosphere where oxygen molecules (O2) and ultraviolet (UV) rays interact to maintain the ozone layer. The photons involved in the Chapman Cycle are those from solar radiation that have the energy sufficient to photolyze an oxygen molecule.

In the first step of the Chapman Cycle:

1. An oxygen molecule is photolyzed by solar UV radiation, resulting in two oxygen radicals (O).
2. These oxygen radicals can then react with other oxygen molecules to form ozone (O3).

The products of these reactions are atomic oxygen (O) and ozone (O3), both vital to the protection of life on Earth from the Sun's harmful UV radiation.