Question

Given below are two statements.

Statement I : Phenols are weakly acidic.

Statement II : Therefore they are freely soluble in NaOH solution and are weaker acids than alcohols and water.

Choose the most appropriate option.

• A. Both Statement I and Statement II are correct.
• B. Both Statement I and Statement II are correct.
• C. Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect.
• D. Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

 Let's evaluate the correctness of the two statements provided.

Statement I: Phenols are weakly acidic.

This statement is correct. Phenols are indeed weakly acidic due to the presence of the hydroxyl group (-OH) directly attached to the aromatic ring. The acidic nature of phenols is attributed to the ability of the phenoxide ion to stabilize through resonance. However, phenols are less acidic than carboxylic acids but more acidic than alcohols and water.

Statement II: Therefore, they are freely soluble in NaOH solution and are weaker acids than alcohols and water.

This statement is incorrect for two reasons:

Solubility in NaOH: Phenols are soluble in NaOH due to the formation of the phenoxide ion that is more soluble in water. This supports the statement partially, but the term "freely soluble" might be exaggerated. Nonetheless, the solubility is due to their acidic nature allowing them to form salts with bases like NaOH.

Acidity comparison: Phenols are indeed more acidic than alcohols and water. The acidity order generally follows: \(\text{Carboxylic Acids} > \text{Phenols} > \text{Alcohols} > \text{Water}\)

Thus, the statement claiming that phenols are weaker acids than alcohols and water is incorrect.

Conclusion

Based on our analysis:

• Statement I is correct: Phenols are weakly acidic.
• Statement II is incorrect: Phenols are not weaker acids than alcohols or water; they are stronger.

Therefore, the most appropriate option is: Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect.