Carbolic acid is less acidic than:

Options

A. (A)`CH_(3)COOH`
B.
C.
D.

Answer

To determine which compounds are more acidic than carbolic acid (phenol), we need to analyze the structure and acidity of carbolic acid and compare it with the given options.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify Carbolic Acid**:
- Carbolic acid is another name for phenol, which has the structure of a benzene ring with a hydroxyl (OH) group attached to it.

2. **Understand Acidity**:
- The acidity of a compound is influenced by the stability of its conjugate base after losing a proton (H+).
- For phenol, the conjugate base formed is the phenoxide ion (C6H5O⁻).

3. **Compare with Carboxylic Acid**:
- Carboxylic acids (like acetic acid, CH3COOH) are generally more acidic than phenol.
- This is because the carboxylate ion (RCOO⁻) formed after deprotonation is more resonance-stabilized than the phenoxide ion.

4. **Evaluate the Given Options**:
- **Option A**: Carboxylic acid (e.g., acetic acid) is more acidic than phenol.
- **Option B**: A compound with a methyl group (CH3) attached to the phenol is less acidic than phenol due to the +I effect of the methyl group, which increases electron density on the oxygen.
- **Option C**: A compound with a nitro group (NO2) attached to the phenol increases acidity because the nitro group is an electron-withdrawing group, stabilizing the phenoxide ion.
- **Option D**: A compound with two nitro groups attached to the phenol is even more acidic than phenol for the same reason as option C—stronger electron-withdrawing effect.

5. **Conclusion**:
- Carbolic acid (phenol) is less acidic than carboxylic acid (Option A), and it is also less acidic than compounds with nitro groups (Options C and D).
- Therefore, the correct answer is that carbolic acid is less acidic than carboxylic acid, and the compounds with nitro groups.

### Final Answer:
Carbolic acid is less acidic than:
- **Carboxylic acid (Option A)**
- **Compound with a nitro group (Option C)**
- **Compound with two nitro groups (Option D)**

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