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Question

Question: Ultraviolet light reacts with ozone (O3) and oxygen (O2) in the stratosphere before it can damage life on Earth. When ozone is exposed to ultraviolet radiation with wavelengths less than or equal to 320 nm, the O-O bond will break. The O-O bond in oxygen will break when exposed to ultraviolet wavelengths less than or equal to 242 nm. Calculate the frequency (ν) and photon energy (E) of 265-nm ultraviolet radiation that will break the O-O bond in ozone. In the same question: Does ozone or oxygen contain the stronger O-O bond?

Answer 1

Dhruva:

There's a lovely worksheet with the equations you need and a solved example here:

http://www.csun.edu/~jte35633/worksheets/Chemistry/5-2PlancksEq.pdf

 

In terms of the 'stronger bond', focus on the information you're given about the wavelengths of light required to beak each bond--in the case of ozone O-O, <320nm; in the case of oxygen, 265 nm.

 

Has your instructor given you a rule-of-thumb for energy vs. wavelength? If not, you can calculate the energies using the equations above and compare.

 

Cheers

Bruce