Question

Arrange the following in increasing order of their acidic character:
Benzoic acid, Phenol, Cresol

Answer 1

Benzoic acid has a strong electron withdrawing group than phenol (i.e., $-COOH$ than $-OH$) while cresol has an electron donating group $(-C{H}_3)$.

Electron withdrawing group increases the acidic character and electron donating group decreases the acidic character.

Thus the increasing order of acidic character is-

Benzoic acid $>$ Phenol $>$ Cresol