Moth Balls Movies

Moth Balls Video No. 1 - Moth balls slowly sublime under polarized illumination at a magnification of 100x with a playing time of 10.7 seconds. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 28.8k (modem), 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL, or download this video clip in MPEG format (4.59 MB).

Moth Balls Video No. 2 - Observe the slow crystallization of naphthalene (moth balls) recorded utilizing time-lapse cinemicrography under polarized illumination at a magnification of 200x with a playing time of 9.4 seconds. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 28.8k (modem), 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL, or download this video clip in MPEG format (4.0 MB).

A crystalline white hydrocarbon, naphthalene is well known for the aromatic odor it gives to moth balls. Derived from coal tar, it is used to manufacture plastics, dyes, solvents, and other chemicals. It is also used as an antiseptic and insecticide. The naphthalene molecule consists of two benzene rings sharing two adjacent carbon atoms and has the chemical formula C₁₀H₈.