Final answer:
The oxygen-rich chemical produced from the reaction of ultraviolet light and ice in the upper atmosphere is ozone (O3). This occurs as part of the Chapman Cycle, which plays a crucial role in absorbing ultraviolet radiation and warming the stratosphere.
Step-by-step explanation:
The oxygen-rich chemical that the chemical reaction between ultraviolet light and ice makes is ozone (O3). This transformation is part of the Chapman Cycle, which occurs naturally in the Earth's upper atmosphere, primarily in the stratosphere. Starting with the photolysis of an oxygen molecule (O2) by solar ultraviolet radiation:
Step 1: Formation of Oxygen Radicals
UV radiation + O2 → 2O
Step 2: Creation of Ozone
O (Oxygen Radical) + O2 → O3 (Ozone)
Step 3: Recycling of Ozone to Molecular Oxygen
Either through interaction with another oxygen radical:
O3 + O → 2O2
Or by absorbing another photon:
O3 + UV radiation → O2 + O
This series of reactions continues to absorb UV radiation, thus preventing excessive UV radiation from reaching the Earth's surface and warming the stratosphere. The process is a natural protection against UV radiation but can be disrupted by man-made chemicals like CFCs and HCFCs that release chlorine and bromine, which catalyze the destruction of ozone molecules, undermining this vital cycle.