Question

The molecular formula of Methanoic acid is:
a.) \[{{H}_{3}}COH\]
b.) \[C{{H}_{3}}COOH\]
c.) \[HCOOH\]
d.) \[HCHO\]

Answer 1

Hint: A chemical formula is defined as a way of representing information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule. Formic acid which is systematically named methanoic acid, is the simplest carboxylic acid. It is considered as an important intermediate in chemical synthesis and occurs naturally, most notably in some ants.

Complete step by step answer:
According to IUPAC nomenclature, the name of a molecule has the prefix where the number of carbon in the longest Carbon chain is mentioned and the suffix has the name of the functional group present in the compound. Here in methanoic acid the prefix is meth- signifying that there is only one carbon in the main chain, -an-denotes alkane and –oic acid represents that the carboxylic acid is present in the molecule as the functional group. Hence, the answer is \[HCOOH\].
So, the correct answer is “Option C”.

Note: Following are the uses of methanoic acid:
It is used as a preservative and antibacterial agent in livestock feed.
Formic acid is also used in places of mineral acids for various cleaning products such as lime scale remover and toilet bowl cleaner.
Formic acid is also significantly used in the production of artificial or natural leather.
Formic acid is often also used as a component of mobile phase in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography analysis and separation techniques for the separation of hydrophobic macromolecules, such as peptides, proteins and more complex structures including intact viruses.