If formic acid , acetic acid, propanic acid and benzoic acid is mixed with Phosphorus and Bromine then how many product are formed.

Explanation

To determine how many products are formed when formic acid, acetic acid, propanoic acid, and benzoic acid are mixed with phosphorus and bromine, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the acids and their structures
- **Formic acid**: HCOOH
- **Acetic acid**: CH3COOH
- **Propanoic acid**: CH3CH2COOH
- **Benzoic acid**: C6H5COOH

### Step 2: Understand the reaction conditions
The reaction of carboxylic acids with phosphorus and bromine is known as the **Hell-Volhard-Zelinski reaction**. This reaction requires the presence of an alpha hydrogen (hydrogens attached to the carbon adjacent to the carboxylic acid group).

### Step 3: Check for alpha hydrogens
- **Formic acid**: HCOOH (No alpha hydrogen)
- **Acetic acid**: CH3COOH (3 alpha hydrogens)
- **Propanoic acid**: CH3CH2COOH (2 alpha hydrogens)
- **Benzoic acid**: C6H5COOH (No alpha hydrogen)

### Step 4: Determine which acids can react
From the analysis:
- Formic acid: **No reaction** (no alpha hydrogen)
- Acetic acid: **Will react** (producing a halogenated product)
- Propanoic acid: **Will react** (producing a halogenated product)
- Benzoic acid: **No reaction** (no alpha hydrogen)

### Step 5: Identify the products formed
1. **Acetic acid**:
- Reaction: CH3COOH + P + Br2 → CH2BrCOOH + HBr
- This produces **1 product** (CH2BrCOOH).

2. **Propanoic acid**:
- Reaction: CH3CH2COOH + P + Br2 → CH3CHBrCOOH + HBr
- This produces **2 products** due to chirality (D and L forms of CH3CHBrCOOH).

### Step 6: Calculate the total number of products
- From acetic acid: 1 product
- From propanoic acid: 2 products
- Total products = 1 (from acetic acid) + 2 (from propanoic acid) = **3 products**.

### Final Answer
The total number of products formed is **3**.

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