Describe the specific atmospheric chemical reactions that lead to the formation of ground-level ozone from its precursor pollutants.

Ground-level ozone, a harmful secondary pollutant, forms through a complex series of chemical reactions involving its precursor pollutants: Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), in the presence of sunlight. NOx primarily consists of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), predominantly emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels in vehicles, power plants, and industrial processes. VOCs are carbon-containing compounds that easily evaporate at room temperature, originating from sources like vehicle exhaust, industrial solvents, chemical products, and natural emissions from vegetation. Sunlight provides the energy to drive these reactions. Initially, in an atmosphere with only NOx and no VOCs, a natural photostationary state exists. Nitric oxide (NO) reacts with ozone (O3) to form nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and molecular oxygen (O2). Simultaneously, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) absorbs ultraviolet (UV) sunlight and undergoes photolysis, breaking down into nitric oxide (NO) and a highly reactive oxygen atom ....