Methanoic acid differs from other carboxylic acids in that it also
- A. fails to react with alkalis
- B. acts as a reducing agent, giving a silver mirror with Tollens reagent
- C. contains no carboxyl group
- D. is insoluble in water
Explanation
Its carboxyl carbon also carries a hydrogen, so the molecule contains an aldehyde group as well and can be oxidised further to carbon dioxide, which no other carboxylic acid can do. This is why methanoic acid reduces Tollens and Fehling's reagents. It is otherwise a typical, and in fact the strongest, of the simple aliphatic acids.
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