Editing Ozone–oxygen cycle (section)

===The ozone–oxygen cycle===
The ozone molecules formed by the reaction (above) absorb radiation with an appropriate wavelength between [[UV-C]] and [[UV-B]]. The triatomic ozone molecule becomes diatomic molecular oxygen, plus a free oxygen atom (see figure):
:3. '''ozone photodissociation''': O<sub>3</sub> + ℎν<sub>(240–310&nbsp;nm)</sub> → O<sub>2 </sub>+ O
The atomic oxygen produced may react with another oxygen molecule to reform ozone via the ozone creation reaction (reaction 2 above).

These two reactions thus form the ozone–oxygen cycle, wherein the chemical energy released by ozone creation becomes molecular kinetic energy. The net result of the cycle is the conversion of penetrating UV-B light into heat, without any net loss of ozone. While keeping the ozone layer in stable balance, and protecting the lower atmosphere from harmful UV radiation, the cycle also provides one of two major heat sources in the stratosphere (the other being kinetic energy, released when  O<sub>2</sub> is photolyzed into individual O atoms).