Justify phenol is weak acid.

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The characteristics chemical reactions, an acid shows are:

  • Acid base reactions to produce salt and water.
  • Acid reacts with active metals to produce salt and hydrogen gas.

Acid Reaction With Base:

Acids have ability to react with base and neutralize it by producing salt and water. phenol fulfills this characteristic chemical reaction of acid. phenol reacts with aqueous solution of strong base NaOH. The products of this chemical reaction are sodium phenoxide (a basic salt) and water. As phenol is a weak acid and sodium hydroxide is strong base hence a basic salt ( sodium phenoxide salt) is produced.

Phenol-Weak-acid- sodium-hydroxide-strong-base-reaction
WeaK Acid Strong Base Reaction.


Phenol reaction with sodium hydrogen carbonate and sodium carbonate:

Strong acids react with sodiumhydrogen carbonate( NaHCO3) and sodium carbonate( Na2CO3) and produce salt and carbon dioxide (CO2).Phenol being weak acid cannot react with sodiumhydrogen carbonate (NaHCO3) and sodium carbonate( (Na2CO3) to give CO2. So, this proves that phenol is weak acid. 

Reaction With Sodium Metal:

Another characteristic reaction of acid, is with active metals to produce hydrogen gas. phenol also reacts with sodium metal but being weak acid phenol reacts slowly with sodium metal in contrast to strong acids. 

Sodium-phenol-reaction-gives-sodium-phenoxide
Phenol and sodium reaction.

Above both reactions are characteristic of an acid, hence these justify phenol is an acid. Phenol is a weak acid it can be justify by seeing it doesn't react with sodiumhydrogen carbonate and sodium carbonate to produce carbondioxide, while strong acid perform these reaction and give carbondioxide.


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