Formic acid (or methanoic acid) is formed by one oxygen atom double-bonded to a carbon atom which is in turn bonded to one hydrogen atom and one hydroxide (OH) molecule. The bonds involved are all covalent bonds.
The chemical formula for formic acid is HCOOH. The constituent elements for formic acid are hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. Formic acid can be obtained by heating oxalic acid in anhydrous glycerol and extraction by steam distillation. Hydrogen is the most abundant and the lightest element ever discovered. The group of hydrogen on the periodic table is I and the atomic number of hydrogen is 1. The electronic configuration of hydrogen is 2. Oxygen is the third most abundant element ever discovered. The mass of oxygen is approximately 16. The group of oxygen on the periodic table is VI and the atomic number of oxygen is 8. The electronic configuration of oxygen is 2.8. Carbon is the 4th most abundant element ever discovered. The mass of carbon is approximately 12. The group of carbon on the periodic table is IV and the atomic number is 6. The electronic configuration of carbon is 2.4.
Exposure to formic acid can cause optic nerve damage and blindness, while chronic exposure may cause liver or kidney damage or a development of skin allergy that manifests upon re-exposure to the chemical. Some scientists have demonstrated it to be a mutagen. Formic acid is usually found in the stings of bee and ants.
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