chemistry

Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid

Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid rather than just read about it. In short: Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid (INCI), abbreviated as PBSA and also known as ensulizole (INN) is a common sunscreen agent. In 1999, the United States Food and Drug Administration regulated that the name ensulizole be used on sunscreen labels in the United States.

Key takeaways

Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid (INCI), abbreviated as PBSA and also known as ensulizole (INN) is a common sunscreen agent. In 1999, the United States Food and Drug Administration regulated that the name ensulizole be used on sunscreen labels in the United States. PBSA is primarily a UVB protecting agent providing only minimal UVA protection. The scope of UVB is 280 to 315 nanometers whereas the UVA range is 315 to 400 nanometers. For better UVA protection, it must be paired with avobenzone, bemotrizinol, titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide; outside of the United States it can also be paired with a UVA absorber such as ecamsule or a UVA/UVB absorber such as bisoctrizole or drometrizole trisiloxane. Because PBSA is water-soluble, it has the characteristic of feeling lighter on skin. As such, it is often used in sunscreen lotions or moisturizers whose aesthetic goal is a non-greasy finish. The free acid is poorly soluble in water, so it is only used as its soluble salts.

References

External links Thomson MICROMEDEX - Sunscreen Agents (Topical) Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid

In research: Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Benzimidazoles, Sulfonic acids, Sunscreening agents, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid in simple terms?

Why does Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid.