how do we distinguish between formic acid and acetic acid...????
Your friends tried well.
The most common test to distinguish between formic acid acid and acetic acid is silver mirror test.Formic acid will produce silver mirror on reacting with ammonical silver nitrate. Reaction is as follows:
HCOOH + 2[Ag (NH3)2] NO3 → 2Ag + CO2 + 2NH4NO3 +2NH3
The most common test to distinguish between formic acid acid and acetic acid is silver mirror test.Formic acid will produce silver mirror on reacting with ammonical silver nitrate. Reaction is as follows:
HCOOH + 2[Ag (NH3)2] NO3 → 2Ag + CO2 + 2NH4NO3 +2NH3