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 The Dr. Jekyll - Mr. Hyde Molecule and the Case of the Vanishing Ozone

The Dr. Jekyll - Mr. Hyde Molecule and the Case of the Vanishing Ozone
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 9 to 12
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   8.61

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    fiend, nonflammable, nonpoisonous, ozein, ozone-depleting, reschedule, ominous, murderous, human-made, smog, potion, consumption, benevolent, sunscreen, methane, chlorofluorocarbons
     content words:    Robert Louis Stevenson, Henry Jekyll, Edward Hyde, Los Angeles, United States, This UV, Montreal Protocol, Ozone Layer

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The Dr. Jekyll - Mr. Hyde Molecule and the Case of the Vanishing Ozone
By Colleen Messina 		  
1     Robert Louis Stevenson wrote a story about how a strange chemical potion transformed good-looking, respectable Dr. Henry Jekyll into an ugly, murderous fiend named Mr. Edward Hyde. Every since, the term "Jekyll-Hyde" has been used to describe the good and bad parts of anything. There is even a Jekyll-Hyde molecule in our own atmosphere, and it's called ozone.
 
2     Ozone is a beautiful blue gas, and it is composed of three oxygen molecules. Small amounts of ozone are formed during natural events such as lightning storms. The word ozone comes from the Greek word ozein, which means, "to smell." You may have noticed the strange, sharp smell of ozone during a thunderstorm, standing next to a power line, or when playing with a toy electric train. Ozone is also created when sunlight reacts with hydrocarbons, which are gasses given off by trees and plants. These small amounts of natural ozone do not cause problems. Ozone is also made when chemicals produced by emissions from factories, vehicles, and refineries interact with sunlight. These reactions produce too much ozone, and this causes problems.
 
3     Ozone acts like ominous Mr. Hyde when it is in the lower atmosphere because it affects the respiratory system of animals and people. It irritates and restricts lung tissues, which causes coughs, chest pains, headaches, and sleepiness. It also affects people with asthma or emphysema. Ozone is the most dangerous element in smog. Los Angeles has the worst ozone levels in the United States, and sometimes schools reschedule sports events during smog alerts. Children are especially vulnerable to harmful levels of ozone because they breathe in more air for their size than adults, and they are outside more often.

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