Statement-1: Methanoic acid reduces mercuric chloride to mercurous chloride on heating while ethanoic acid does not.
and
Statement-2: Methanoic acid is stronger acid then ethanoic acid.

Options

A. If both the assertion and reason are true statement and reason is correct explanation of the assertion .
B. If both the assertion and reason are true statement but reason is not a correct explanation of the assertion .
C. If the assertion is true but the reason is a false statement.
D. If both assertion and reason are false statements.

Answer

B

Explanation

Methanoic acid reduces mercuric chlorides as : `HCOOH + 2Hg Cl_(2)to CO_(2)+2HCl +Hg_(2)Cl_(2)`
Ethanoic acid does not react with `HgCl_(2)` Since alkyl groups are electron releasing their presence in the molecules will decrease the acidity . Thus methanoic aicd (HCOOH) is about 10 times stronger than ethanoic acid `(CH_(3)COOH)`.