Question

Explain how the Earth's atmosphere protects us from dangerous radiation.

Answer 1

The atmosphere is a thin layer of gas that surrounds the earth.Earth's atmosphere has a section called ozone layer.This region of high ozone concentration is situated in the stratosphere,20 to 30 kilometers above the earth's surface. This ozone layer acts as an invisible shield and protects us from dangerous radiation which is the Ultraviolet radiation(UV). UV radiation is the energy produced from sun.This radiation can cause many harmful effects to humans such as skin cancer,skin burn and eye problems and also to animals, plants and microbes.The ozone layer acts as a barrier between Earth and the UV radiation and protect all life on Earth.

The ozone layer protects the Earth from too much radiation by both absorbing and reflecting harmful UV rays.When an ozone molecule absorbs UV radiation,it comes apart into an oxygen molecule(O2) and a separate oxygen atom(O).Later they reform into ozone molecule(O3).By absorbing UV in the stratosphere,the ozone layer prevents its harmful levels from reaching the Earth's surface.