On This Day in Science History - October 18 - Ozone

October 18th is Christian Friedrich Sch?nbein's birthday. Sch?nbein was the German chemist who discovered ozone while investigating the electrolysis of water. He noticed a distinct smell while the system was operating and traced the source to a new type of oxygen.

Ozone is made up of three oxygen atoms, O3, instead of the more stable O2. It is a corrosive, poisonous substance and is considered a pollutant in many cases. Ozone is generally created by lightning discharges in the atmosphere and high energy radiation. It can be generated by electrical equipment that has high capacitance or sparks from televisions and large motors.

Ozone is not considered a pollutant in the upper atmosphere. The highest concentrations of ozone appear in the stratosphere to form a layer known as the ozone layer. This region of ozone filters out the part of the ultraviolet radiation that is harmful to many forms of life.

Ozone has many uses and many dangers, but to Sch?nbein, it was an interesting stinky new gas. Find out what else occurred on this day in science history.

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