Final answer:
The question examines acid-base chemistry, focusing on the comparative acidity of formic acid to methylamine. Formic acid is a weak carboxylic acid with a 1.3% ionization rate in water and a pKa of 3.75, indicating its higher acidity relative to bases such as methylamine. Application of Le Chatelier's principle illustrates the acidic behavior of formic acid in various scenarios.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question on how much more acidic formic acid is than methylamine requires an understanding of acid-base chemistry and the ability to compare the strengths of an acid and a base. Formic acid (methanoic acid, HCO₂H) is a carboxylic acid, known for its weak acidity when compared to strong acids, although among the carboxylic acids, it is relatively strong. Its percent ionization in water is about 1.3%, which indicates that only a small amount of the acid dissociates into H+ ions and formate ions in solution.
Methylamine (CH₃NH₂), on the other hand, is a weak base. To answer how much more acidic formic acid is compared to methylamine, we can compare their dissociation constants (Ka for formic acid and Kb for methylamine). As no given values for Kb are provided, the comparison should be theoretical or based on known pKa and pKb values from literature. The acidity of formic acid can be exhibited by its pKa which is 3.75, reflecting a higher tendency to lose a proton compared to bases that have higher pKa values.
Adding a strong acid to a solution of formic acid, as indicated in the example provided, reflects Le Chatelier's principle, where the addition of H+ ions causes the dissociation equilibrium to shift to the left, thus decreasing the ionization of formic acid. This demonstrates formic acid's reactivity and its behavior as an acid in presence of strong acid or base. Therefore, although not directly answering the question quantitatively, the provided information highlights the acidic nature of formic acid compared to the basic nature of methylamine.