How Does the Ozone Layer Actually Work?

The ozone layer is like a shield that protects us from the Sun’s strongest rays.

Imagine you’re wearing a sunglasses on a bright day, they make everything look less harsh and bright. The ozone layer does something similar, but way up in the sky. It blocks some of the Sun's ultraviolet (UV) light, which can be harmful to our skin and eyes.

The ozone layer is made up of ozone molecules, these are like special groups of oxygen atoms that work together. When UV light from the Sun hits the ozone layer, the ozone molecules absorb some of that energy. It’s like when you put your hand in hot water, the water takes away some of the heat.

But here's the fun part: ozone molecules can be broken apart by the UV light. This makes new oxygen molecules, and sometimes those new molecules join back up to make ozone again. So it’s kind of like a game of tag, the ozone layer keeps absorbing the Sun’s strongest rays, even when some of its players get taken out.

That's why we don’t get burned as badly as we would if there were no ozone layer, it's working hard to keep us safe!