CAIE A-Level Chemistry 32.2.4 Acidities of Water, Phenol and Ethanol
Practise ranking water, phenol and ethanol by acidity and explaining the order through conjugate-base stability.
- Syllabus
- 2028–2030
- Course
- Chemistry 9701
- Level
- A2
Exam points
- rank phenol above water above ethanol in acidity under the comparison stated in the syllabus
- stabilise phenoxide by delocalising its negative charge into the ring, making H+ loss more favourable
- explain ethanol’s lower acidity through the electron-donating alkyl group destabilising the ethoxide ion
32.2.4—Acidities of water, phenol and ethanol question 1
[Maximum number: 2]
State and explain the relative acidities of ethanol and phenol.
M1: phenol is more acidic than ethanol because the O-H bond in phenol is weakened/the phenoxide anion is stabilised/ethanol has an electron donating group
M2: p orbital / lone pair of electrons on O can be delocalised over/overlaps with ring
1
1
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