Ozone (O3)

Term: ozone

Literally meaning: “that smells”

Origin: Anc Greek

όζω/ozo (=to smell)

Coined/History

In 1844 by German-Swiss chemist Christian Friedrich Schönbein (1799-1868) who noticed, while conducting experiments on the decomposition of water, that the oxygen obtained in the process had a distinctive odor odor. Schönbein recognized that the substance is a gas, that it is produced at the anode, and that it resembles chlorine and bromine in its chemical and electric properties. He studied extensively the properties of this gas and found that it is produced when phosphorus glows in air.

Definition

Ozone (O₃) is a triatomic molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms. It is found naturally in the earth’s stratosphere, where it absorbs the ultraviolet component of incoming solar radiation. Ozone is a highly reactive oxidizing agent used to deodorize air, purify water, and treat industrial wastes.