Question
Explain the reason why:
Carbon-oxygen bond lengths in formic acid are 1.23 Å and 1.36 Å, but both the carbon-oxygen bonds in sodium formate have the same value, 1.27 Å.
Solution
In formic acid the carbon-oxygen bond lengths are different due to hydrogen bonding. But, in the formate ion the carbon-oxygen bond lengths are equal as it is a resonance hybrid of two equivalent structures.

