Question

What are CFC's 6th grade explanation.

Answer 1

CFC stands for ChloroFluoroCarbon. CFC's are a class of chemical compounds containing only halogenated (often chlorine, fluorine) carbon atoms. They are commonly used in refrigeration, air conditioning and as propellants in aerosol cans. There are many chemical compounds classified as CFCs, one of the most well known is freon, which is used in air conditioners to make the air cool.

However useful CFCs have been, they also have a very negative effect on climate change and the Earths ozone layer when they're released into the environment.

The Earths ozone layer is predominately made up of a chemical called ozone. CFCs react with ozone (O3) turning it into oxygen (O2). This not only thins or depletes our ozone layer but creates weather hot spots as ozone absorbs UV-B radiation coming from the sun. Having less ozone allows more of this high energy radiation to reach the Earths surface. Kind of like a magnifying glass pointed at us.

This is why scientists, governments and companies are actively looking for alternative chemicals to use in place of CFCs. So that we can stop using them and depleting our ozone layer.

hope this helps