Phenol reacts readily with aqueous sodium hydroxide to form a salt, whereas ethanol shows no reaction. What explains this difference in chemical behavior?
Q1. Phenol reacts readily with aqueous sodium hydroxide to form a salt, whereas ethanol shows no reaction. What explains this difference in chemical behavior?
Answer: Resonance stabilization of phenoxide
Explanation: Phenoxide ion is stabilized by resonance of the negative charge over the benzene ring, making phenol significantly more acidic than ethanol.