Formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a strong pungent odor. It has a melting point of -92 degrees Celsius and a boiling point of -21 degrees Celsius. Formaldehyde is extremely polar and is soluble in water and ethanol. This solubility is consistent with a high dipole moment. Formaldehyde's dipole moment of 2.3 Debye is greater than the dipole moment for either water, (1.9 Debye) or ammonia, (1.5 Debye).

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