why ozone molecule is high in atmosphere even having greater molecular weight than oxygen

Dear sachin,

The highest levels of ozone in the atmosphere are in the stratosphere, in a region also known as the ozone layer between about 10 km and 50 km above the surface (or between about 6 and 31 miles). Here it filters out photons with shorter wavelengths (less than 320 nm) of ultraviolet light, also called UV rays, (270 to 400 nm) from the Sun that would be harmful to most forms of life in large doses.

Ozone in the stratosphere is mostly produced from ultraviolet rays reacting with oxygen:

O₂ + photon (radiation < 240 nm) → 2 O

O + O₂ → O₃

It is destroyed by the reaction with atomic oxygen:

O₃ + O → 2 O₂

The latter reaction is catalysed by the presence of certain free radicals, of which the most important are hydroxyl (OH), nitric oxide (NO) and atomic chlorine (Cl) and bromine (Br)

So the OZONE is just present as free radicals and not as stable O3.These reactions goin on continously.

Please feel free to ask your queries here. We are all IITians and here to help you in your IIT JEE preparation.

All the best.

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