Mothballs are commonly made of paradichlorobenzene or which other chemical?

Mothballs are commonly made of paradichlorobenzene or which other chemical?

• A. Propylene glycol
• B. Naphthalene
• C. Ethylbenzene
• D. Methylene chloride

Answer: (B)

Mothballs work by releasing a volatile fumigant that sublimes at room temperature to keep moths away. Paradichlorobenzene is a common modern choice for this purpose, and the other traditional chemical that provides the same protective vapor is naphthalene. Naphthalene is solid at room temperature and readily sublimates, delivering a steady vapor that repels or kills moth larvae as it slowly releases from the mothball. The other options aren’t used as mothball fumigants: propylene glycol is mainly a humectant, while ethylbenzene and methylene chloride are solvents with unrelated uses.

Mothballs work by releasing a volatile fumigant that sublimes at room temperature to keep moths away. Paradichlorobenzene is a common modern choice for this purpose, and the other traditional chemical that provides the same protective vapor is naphthalene. Naphthalene is solid at room temperature and readily sublimates, delivering a steady vapor that repels or kills moth larvae as it slowly releases from the mothball. The other options aren’t used as mothball fumigants: propylene glycol is mainly a humectant, while ethylbenzene and methylene chloride are solvents with unrelated uses.