HCOONa is commonly a sodium salt of formic acid and has the potential to react with strong acids. Let us see the mechanism of its reaction with H2SO4.
Sodium formate, also known as sodium methanoate, combines with sulfuric acid to synthesize formic acid. HCOONa is formed by absorbing carbon monoxide in solid sodium hydroxide. It appears as white deliquescent granules that, when exposed to moisture, transform into liquid. H2SO4 is a colorless, strong oxidizing agent.
The following sections of the article shall discuss in detail the reaction between HCOONa and H2SO4, the products formed, enthalpy of the reaction, the reaction type, etc.
What is the product of H2SO4 and HCOONa?
Formic acid and Sodium sulfate are formed as major products when HCOONa is reacted with H2SO4.
2HCOONa + H2SO4 —> 2HCOOH + Na2SO4
What type of reaction is H2SO4 + HCOONa?
H2SO4 + HCOONa is an example of double displacement reaction, also referred to as a salt metathesis reaction.
How to balance H2SO4 + HCOONa
The balanced chemical equation for H2SO4 + HCOONa reaction is:
2HCOONa + H2SO4 = 2HCOOH + Na2SO4
Following are the steps to equate the reaction mentioned above:
- The unbalanced equation is first written down, i.e.: HCOONa + H2SO4 = HCOOH + Na2SO4
- The number of atoms or elements present on both reactant and product sides are counted and tabulated.
| Atoms | Reactant Side | Product Side |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 1 | 2 |
| Sulfur | 1 | 1 |
| Carbon | 1 | 1 |
| Hydrogen | 3 | 2 |
| Oxygen | 6 | 6 |
- Necessary coefficients are then added to the unbalanced atoms to establish the balanced reaction.
- To balance sodium atoms, HCOONa molecule was multiplied by coefficient 2.
- Secondly, hydrogen was equated on both sides by multiplying HCOOH by coefficient 2.
- Thus, the balanced chemical equation for the given reaction is as follows:
- 2HCOONa + H2SO4 —> 2HCOOH + Na2SO4
H2SO4 + HCOONa Titration
HCOONa cannot be titrated against H2SO4 as HCOONa is a monosodium salt of a weak acid. Thus, without a base, H2SO4 and HCOONa titration would yield no significant results.
H2SO4 + HCOONa Net Ionic Equation
The net ionic equation between H2SO4 and HCOONa is: HCOO– + Na+ + 2H+ + SO42- = HCOO– + H+ + 2Na+ + SO42-
The following are the steps to derive the net ionic equation:
- Firstly, the complete balanced equation is noted.
- 2HCOONa + H2SO4 = 2HCOOH + Na2SO4
- The reacting atoms are then dissociated into their respective ions to give the net ionic equation; for example, HCOONa splits in an aqueous solution to give HCOO– and Na+ ions.
- In the next step, spectator ions, if any, are eliminated from both sides of the reaction.
- The final net ionic equation for H2SO4 + HCOONa reaction is mentioned in the next step.
- HCOO– + Na+ + 2H+ + SO42- = HCOO– + H+ + 2Na+ + SO42-
H2SO4 + HCOONa Conjugate Pairs
The conjugate pairs formed between reaction H2SO4 + HCOONa are mentioned below:
- Conjugate base of H2SO4 (after donating a proton) = HSO4–
- Conjugate base of HCOOH = HCOO–
H2SO4 and HCOONa Intermolecular Forces
- For H2SO4, Van der waals dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, and strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding forces are present as intermolecular forces.
- HCOONa exhibit electrostatic attraction, implying that Ionic intermolecular forces exist due to the presence of two ionic species, Na+ and HCOO–.
H2SO4 + HCOONa Reaction Enthalpy
The reaction enthalpy of H2SO4 + HCOONa is 5.73 kJ/mol (approximately).
| Compounds | Moles | Enthalpy of Formation, ΔH⁰f (kJ/mol) |
|---|---|---|
| H2SO4 | 1 | -909.27 |
| HCOONa | 2 | -666.5 |
| HCOOH | 2 | -424.72 |
| Na2SO4 | 1 | -1387.1 |
- The standard enthalpy of a reaction is calculated using the formula: ΔH⁰f (reaction) = ΣΔH⁰f (products) – ΣΔH⁰f (reactants)
- Enthalpy of reaction = [2×(-424.72) + 1× (-1387.1)] – [2×(-666.5) + 1×(-909.27)] = 5.73 kJ/mol
Is H2SO4 + HCOONa a Buffer Solution?
- H2SO4 + HCOONa is not a buffer solution because H2SO4 is a strong acid, and no conjugate acid or base is present to resist the pH change.
- However, HCOOH produced in this reaction may combine with HCOONa to give an acidic buffer.
Is H2SO4 + HCOONa a Complete Reaction?
- H2SO4 + HCOONa is a complete reaction as it forms two complete products, HCOOH and Na2SO4.
- However, at temperatures ranging from 25 to 170⁰C, HCOOH may further decompose to produce carbon monoxide gas and water.
Is H2SO4 and HCOONa an Exothermic or Endothermic Reaction?
The given reaction is endothermic since the change in enthalpy is positive. As a result, external energy is absorbed by the reaction to reach completion.
Is H2SO4 + HCOONa a Redox Reaction?
H2SO4 + HCOONa is not a redox reaction since no change in the oxidation states of elements is observed on both sides of the reaction.
Is H2SO4 + HCOONa a Precipitation Reaction?
H2SO4 + HCOONa is not a precipitation reaction because both the products obtained are highly soluble in water, ruling out the possibility of precipitate formation.
Is H2SO4 + HCOOH Reversible or Irreversible Reaction?
H2SO4 + HCOONa is irreversible in nature because the products formed can no longer perform reverse reactions to synthesize the reactants under the same reaction conditions.
Is H2SO4 + HCOOH Displacement Reaction?
H2SO4 + HCOONa is a double displacement reaction because of the cationic and anionic exchange of atoms that occurs during product formation.
Conclusion
H2SO4 and HCOONa reaction is one of the ways to synthesize formic acid, an important intermediate, and sodium sulfate, which is employed as an efficient drying agent in organic reactions. Formic acid mainly has varied uses in the field of agriculture as a preservative, in fuel cell, as a pH modifier, and so on.
Read more facts on H2SO4:
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