Methanol on heating with salicylic acid and cond . `H_(2) SO_(4)` gives :

Options

A. Formalin
B. Vinegar
C. Oil of winter green
D. None of these

Answer

To solve the problem of what compound is formed when methanol is heated with salicylic acid in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Reactants**:
- The reactants are methanol (CH₃OH) and salicylic acid (C₇H₆O₃). Salicylic acid is also known as 2-hydroxybenzoic acid.

2. **Understand the Reaction Type**:
- This reaction is an esterification reaction. When a carboxylic acid (salicylic acid) reacts with an alcohol (methanol), an ester is formed along with the release of water.

3. **Write the General Reaction**:
- The general reaction for esterification can be represented as:
\[ \text{RCOOH (carboxylic acid) + R'OH (alcohol) } \rightarrow \text{ RCOOR' (ester) + H₂O} \]
- In this case:
\[ \text{C₇H₆O₃ (salicylic acid) + CH₃OH (methanol) } \rightarrow \text{ C₇H₆O₄ (ester) + H₂O} \]

4. **Determine the Structure of the Ester**:
- The ester formed from salicylic acid and methanol will be methyl salicylate. The structure can be represented as:
\[ \text{C₇H₆O₄} \text{ (methyl salicylate or oil of wintergreen)} \]

5. **Identify the Product**:
- The product of this reaction is known as "oil of wintergreen," which is methyl salicylate.

6. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, when methanol is heated with salicylic acid in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid, the compound formed is oil of wintergreen (methyl salicylate).

### Final Answer:
The compound formed is **Oil of Wintergreen (methyl salicylate)**.

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