Tropospheric Ozone Formation
Ground-level ozone pollution formed from nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds via photochemical reactions.
Formula
NO₂ + hν → NO + O; O + O₂ → O₃
Real World
Los Angeles suffers regular photochemical smog episodes where vehicle NOx and VOC emissions react in intense Californian sunlight, producing ozone concentrations that trigger health alerts.
Exam Focus
Stress that sunlight is the essential trigger; questions often award a mark specifically for identifying photochemical (UV-driven) reactions.
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