Phenol is a weaker acid than acetic acid because:

Options

A. Phenoxide ion is better stabilized by resonance than acetate ion
B. Acetate ion is better stabilized by resonance than phenoxide ion
C. Phenol is led soluble in water than acetic acid
D. Both phenoxide ion and acetate ion are stable

Answer

To explain why phenol is a weaker acid than acetic acid, we can break down the reasoning step by step:

### Step 1: Understand the Structures
- **Phenol (C6H5OH)** has a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to a benzene ring.
- **Acetic Acid (CH3COOH)** has a carboxyl group (-COOH).

### Step 2: Ionization of Acids
- When phenol ionizes, it forms the phenoxide ion (C6H5O⁻).
- When acetic acid ionizes, it forms the acetate ion (CH3COO⁻).

### Step 3: Resonance Structures
- **Phenoxide Ion:** The negative charge on the oxygen can be delocalized into the benzene ring, creating several resonance structures. However, these structures are not equivalent due to the influence of the benzene ring.
- **Acetate Ion:** The negative charge on the oxygen in the acetate ion can also be delocalized, but it has two equivalent resonance structures. This means that the negative charge is more evenly distributed.

### Step 4: Stability of the Ions
- The stability of an ion determines the strength of the acid that produces it.
- The acetate ion is more stable than the phenoxide ion because the resonance structures of acetate are equivalent, allowing for better distribution of the negative charge.
- In contrast, the resonance structures of the phenoxide ion are not equivalent, leading to less stability.

### Step 5: Conclusion
- Since acetic acid produces a more stable acetate ion compared to the stability of the phenoxide ion produced by phenol, acetic acid is a stronger acid than phenol.

### Final Answer
Phenol is a weaker acid than acetic acid because the acetate ion is better stabilized by resonance than the phenoxide ion.

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