Corrosive sublimate \(\left(\mathrm{Hg} \mathrm{Cl}_{2}ight)\) can be used to distinguish between:

Corrosive sublimate \(\left(\mathrm{Hg} \mathrm{Cl}_{2}ight)\) can be used to distinguish between:
  1. formaldehyde and propanone
  2. formic acid and acetic acid
  3. acetaldehyde and butanone
  4. all of the above

Solution

Option \(\mathrm{B}\) is the correct answer.
Formic acid gives white precipitate with \(\mathrm{HgCl}_{2}\) but acitic acid does not react.
\(\mathrm{HCO}_{2} \mathrm{H}+2 \mathrm{HgCl}_{2} \longrightarrow \underset{\text { white precipitate }}{\mathrm{Hg}_{2} \mathrm{Cl}_{2} \downarrow}+2 \mathrm{HCl}+\mathrm{CO}_{2} \uparrow\)
\(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{COOH} \stackrel{\mathrm{HgCl}_{2}}{\longrightarrow}\) No precipitate of \(\mathrm{Hg}_{2} \mathrm{Cl}_{2}\)
Formic acid acts as a reducing agent.

Asked in: JEE-TOPICTESTS-CHEMISTRY

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