The Ozone Molecule
Ozone is a gas made up of three (3) atoms of oxygen:
O + O + O = O3
Oxygen (we breathe) is made up of two (2) atoms of oxygen:
O + O = O2
The atoms in O2 are stable – each atom “holds on” to the other.
The atoms in O3 consist of a stable pair (O2) and a third, unstable atom.
It is the unstable atom that gives ozone its power! Ozone is generated when energy “splits” the stable O2 bond.
Ozone Can be Generated in Three Ways:
Naturally occurring
- Formed when lightning strikes
- Ozone layer formed by UV energy from the sun
Man made (incidental)
- Welding, copy machines
Man made (deliberate)
- Corona Discharge ozone generation
- UV ozone generation
