• Question: What is it in sunlight that turns nitrous oxides turn into ozone?

    Asked by anon-218617 to Matthew (known as Kaan by on 13 Jun 2019.
    • Photo: Matthew Alkan

      Matthew Alkan answered on 13 Jun 2019:

      That is an amazing question! It is however very complex

      Short answer: Oxygen (O2) mixes with nitrgen dioxide (NO2, from cars) and the sunlight gives the reaction the energy to work and makes ozone (O3) and nitric oxide (NO).

      This reaction then reverses at night time when there is no sunlight. We call this a di-urnal variation. Lots of NO2 at night and lots of O3 in the day

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