Question

Give Reason: Phenol is more acidic than ethanol.

Answer 1

Resonance Effect

1. Resonance effect is the withdrawn or releasing effect of electrons from a particular substituent through the delocalization of charge.
2. The resonance effect takes place in a conjugated double bond system.
3. Phenol after losing ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$ called as phenoxide ion is stabilized by resonance while after losing ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}$ from ethanol called as ethoxide does not stabilize by resonance effect.
4. Phenoxide ion is stabilized more by benzene ring than in ethanol where the alkyl group is present.
5. Resonating structure of phenol is shown as:

Therefore, due to the resonance effect phenol is more acidic than ethanol.