Answer to Question #265650 in General Chemistry for Hutchii

Question

Destruction of the ozone layer takes place when its component ozone (O3) is converted into oxygen gas (O2) as shown by the following chemical reaction O3 + O = 2O2

Although degradation of O3 happens naturally, there some man-made substances that cause this process to take place at a rate which is harmful to the environment . One such substance is chlorofluorocarbon or CFC. In the presence of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, a chlorine (Cl) atom from CFC reacts with O3 and converts it to O2 at a faster rate. This is shown by the 2 equations below

Cl + O3 = Cl + O2

ClO + O = Cl + O2

In this process, the chlorine atom acts as _______________________.

Answer 1

Chlorine is acting as a catalyst