Which of the following is a correct statement ?

Options

A. An alcohol is a stronger acid than water
B. An alkoxide ion is stronger base than hydroxide ion
C. Amide ion is a weaker base than alkoxide ion
D. Ammonia is a stronger acid than an alcohol

Answer

To determine which of the statements is correct, we will analyze each option one by one.

### Step 1: Analyze Statement 1
**Statement 1:** An alcohol is a stronger acid than water.

- Let's denote alcohol as ROH and water as H2O.
- Water (H2O) is known to be a better acid than alcohol (ROH).
- The reason is that the alkyl group (R) in alcohol is electron-donating, which destabilizes the hydroxide ion (OH⁻) formed after deprotonation. This makes it harder for alcohol to donate a proton compared to water.
- Therefore, **Statement 1 is incorrect.**

### Step 2: Analyze Statement 2
**Statement 2:** An alkoxide ion is a stronger base than a hydroxide ion.

- Alkoxide ion can be represented as RO⁻ and hydroxide ion as OH⁻.
- The alkoxide ion has an alkyl group that donates electron density to the oxygen atom, increasing its electron density.
- This increased electron density makes the alkoxide ion a better proton acceptor compared to the hydroxide ion.
- Therefore, **Statement 2 is correct.**

### Step 3: Analyze Statement 3
**Statement 3:** Amide ion is a weaker base than alkoxide ion.

- The amide ion has a negative charge on nitrogen (NH₂⁻) while the alkoxide ion has a negative charge on oxygen (RO⁻).
- The negative charge on nitrogen in the amide ion is less available for donation compared to the negative charge on oxygen in the alkoxide ion.
- Therefore, the amide ion is actually a stronger base than the alkoxide ion.
- Thus, **Statement 3 is incorrect.**

### Step 4: Analyze Statement 4
**Statement 4:** Ammonia is a stronger acid than an alcohol.

- Alcohols (ROH) are generally more acidic than ammonia (NH₃) due to the higher electronegativity of oxygen compared to nitrogen.
- The presence of the hydroxyl group in alcohol allows for easier proton donation compared to ammonia.
- Therefore, **Statement 4 is incorrect.**

### Conclusion
After analyzing all statements, we find that **only Statement 2 is correct**: An alkoxide ion is a stronger base than a hydroxide ion.

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