Meaning & use
CFC
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Meaning
abbreviationcountablechemistrytechnical
A chemical compound containing chlorine, fluorine, and carbon, formerly used in refrigerants and sprays, that damages the ozone layer.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a CFC' or 'CFCs' when talking about one or more of these compounds.
Patterns
- CFCs in the atmosphere
- ban CFCs
- release CFCs
The Montreal Protocol was created to phase out CFCs.
Scientists linked CFCs to the hole in the ozone layer.
Older refrigerators may still contain CFCs.
Word forms
| plural | CFCs |
|---|
Common combinations
- ban CFCs
- Many countries agreed to ban CFCs in the 1980s.
- CFC emissions
- CFC emissions have fallen sharply since the treaty.
- ozone-depleting CFCs
- Ozone-depleting CFCs were replaced with safer chemicals.
- phase out CFCs
- The company promised to phase out CFCs by 1996.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chlorofluorocarbon
- The full chemical name; CFC is the common abbreviation in everyday and news writing.
Commonly confused: CFC or HCFC?
CFC vs HCFC
HCFC is a related compound that contains hydrogen as well; it is less damaging to the ozone layer than a CFC.
Practice
What does 'CFC' stand for in environmental science?
Choose one answer.
'CFC' stands for chlorofluorocarbon, a chemical that harms the ozone layer. The other options are not standard scientific terms.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “CFC”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.