Phenols

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Arrange the following in decreasing order of acidic strength: phenol, water, ethanol.

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$Et han o l > Wa t er > P h e n o l$

$P h e n o l > Wa t er > Et han o l$

$Wa t er > P h e n o l > Et han o l$

$P h e n o l > Et han o l > Wa t er$

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Subject: chemistry
Chapter: organic compounds containing oxygen
Topic: phenols
Difficulty: Medium
Year: 2025

Solution

Correct Answer:

$P h e n o l > Wa t er > Et han o l$

Phenol is more acidic than water and ethanol because the phenoxide ion is resonance-stabilized. Water is more acidic than ethanol because the +I effect of the ethyl group in ethanol destabilizes the ethoxide ion. Therefore the correct order is phenol > water > ethanol.

This medium difficulty chemistry question is from the chapter organic compounds containing oxygen, covering the topic of phenols. It appeared in the 2025 exam.

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Phenol is more acidic than ethanol because:

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