`-OH` group present in alcohols is neutral white it is acidic in carboxylic acid because

Options

A. in carboxylic acid -OH group is attached to electron withdrawing carbonyl group
B. in alcohols -OH group is attached to alkyl group which is elecron withdrawing
C. carboxylic group is an electron releasing group
D. alcoholic group is an electron withdrawing group.

Answer

To understand why the `-OH` group in alcohols is neutral while it is acidic in carboxylic acids, we can break down the explanation into several steps.

### Step 1: Understanding Alcohols
- **Example**: Ethanol (C₂H₅OH)
- In alcohols, the `-OH` group is attached to an alkyl group. When ethanol donates a proton (H⁺), it forms the ethoxide ion (C₂H₅O⁻).
- **Key Point**: The ethoxide ion has a negative charge on the oxygen atom.

### Step 2: Stability of Ethoxide Ion
- The oxygen atom in the ethoxide ion is highly electronegative and holds a negative charge.
- The alkyl group (C₂H₅) is an electron-donating group, which increases the electron density on the oxygen.
- **Conclusion**: This makes the ethoxide ion unstable because the negative charge is not well stabilized.

### Step 3: Understanding Carboxylic Acids
- **Example**: Ethanoic acid (CH₃COOH)
- In carboxylic acids, the `-OH` group is attached to a carbonyl group (C=O). When ethanoic acid donates a proton, it forms the ethanoate ion (CH₃COO⁻).
- **Key Point**: In the ethanoate ion, the negative charge on the oxygen can be stabilized by resonance with the carbonyl group.

### Step 4: Resonance Stabilization
- The resonance structures of the ethanoate ion allow the negative charge to be delocalized between the two oxygen atoms.
- The carbonyl group acts as an electron-withdrawing group, which helps to stabilize the negative charge on the oxygen.
- **Conclusion**: This stabilization makes the ethanoate ion more stable than the ethoxide ion.

### Step 5: Conclusion
- The `-OH` group in alcohols is neutral because the resulting alkoxide ion (ethoxide) is unstable due to the electron-donating effect of the alkyl group.
- In contrast, the `-OH` group in carboxylic acids is acidic because the resulting carboxylate ion (ethanoate) is stabilized by resonance with the carbonyl group.

### Final Answer
The `-OH` group in alcohols is neutral while it is acidic in carboxylic acids because the alkoxide ion formed from alcohols is unstable due to electron donation from the alkyl group, whereas the carboxylate ion formed from carboxylic acids is stabilized by resonance with the carbonyl group.

---