Ozone
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Ozone is a chemical compound consisting of three oxygen atoms. It is represented by the symbol O3.
It is unstable at standard temperatures and pressures, and a powerful oxidizer. At the earth's surface it occurs naturally as a result of electrical discharges, most prominently, lightning. It is also created by man-made sparks, such as in an electrical motor.
In the upper atmosphere it serves a very important function, by acting to filter out most of the sun's ultraviolet radiation.
Some activists claimed that this ozone layer has been threatened in recent decades by the release of chlorofluorocarbons, on the theory that these act as catalysts to break down the O3 molecules.