Question
Mention a chemical property in which methanoic acid differs from acetic acid.
✓
Answer
Methanoic acid acts as a reducing agent and hence decolourises the pink colour of acidified KMnO4 solution but acetic acid does not.
$5\text{HCOOH}+2\text{KMnO}_4+3\text{H}_2\text{SO}_4 \rightarrow 5\text{CO}_2+\text{K}_2\text{SO}_4+2\text{MnSO}_4+8\text{H}_2\text{O}\\ ^\text{Methanoic acid}\ \ \ \ \ \ ^\text{(Pink)}\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ ^\text{(Colourless)}$
$\text{CH}_3\text{COOH}\ \xrightarrow{\text{KMnO}_4/\text{H}_2\text{SO}_4}$ No change in pink colour of KMNO4 solution.
$5\text{HCOOH}+2\text{KMnO}_4+3\text{H}_2\text{SO}_4 \rightarrow 5\text{CO}_2+\text{K}_2\text{SO}_4+2\text{MnSO}_4+8\text{H}_2\text{O}\\ ^\text{Methanoic acid}\ \ \ \ \ \ ^\text{(Pink)}\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ ^\text{(Colourless)}$
$\text{CH}_3\text{COOH}\ \xrightarrow{\text{KMnO}_4/\text{H}_2\text{SO}_4}$ No change in pink colour of KMNO4 solution.
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