Short answerModerate1 mark
7(iv)
Expand the following abbreviations:
CFC
Topic: CFC
Previous-year question practice database
Answer
Exam answer
CHLOROFLUOROCARBON.
Explanation
Chlorofluorocarbons were used as refrigerants, in air conditioners and as aerosol propellants.
WHY THEY MATTER: they rise to the stratosphere, where ultraviolet light breaks them down and releases CHLORINE atoms. Each chlorine atom destroys thousands of ozone molecules, which is what caused the OZONE HOLE over Antarctica.
A thinner ozone layer lets more ultraviolet radiation reach the earth, causing skin cancer, cataract and damage to crops. CFCs were phased out under the MONTREAL PROTOCOL of 1987, and the ozone layer is now slowly recovering — one of the few clear environmental successes.
Note the spelling: chloro-fluoro-carbon, three parts naming the three elements.
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