Question
Chemistry Question on Alcohols, Phenols And Ethers
Give two reactions that show the acidic nature of phenol. Compare the acidity of phenol with that of ethanol.
The acidic nature of phenol can be represented by the following two reactions:
Answer
(i) Phenol reacts with sodium to give sodium phenoxide, liberating H2.
(ii) Phenol reacts with sodium hydroxide to give sodium phenoxide and water as by-products. The acidity of phenol is more than that of ethanol. This is because after losing a proton, the phenoxide ion undergoes resonance and gets stabilized whereas the ethoxide ion does not.
