Answer: Option (A) is the correct answer.
Explanation:
Chemical equation for the given reaction is as follows.
[tex]HCOO^{-}(aq) + H^{+}(aq) \rightarrow HCOOH(aq)[/tex]
And, the expression to calculate pH of this reaction is as follows.
pH = [tex]pk_{a} + log \frac{[HCOO^{-}]}{[HCOOH]}[/tex]
As the concentration of [tex]HCOO^{-}[/tex] is directly proportional to pH. Hence, when there occurs a decrease in the pH of the solution the [tex][HCOO^{-}][/tex] will also decrease.
Thus, we can conclude that the statement, HCOO will accept a proton from HCl to produce more HCOOH and [tex]H_{2}O[/tex], best supports the student's claim.