question_answer

Direction (1 - 5): Phenols and alcohols have both the same functional group (-OH) but phenols are stronger acids than alcohols. This is mainly due to the reason that the phenoxide ion left after the release of \[{{H}^{+}}\] ion in phenol is resonance stabilised while the alkoxide ion in alcohols does not show similar characteristics. The electron withdrawing groups tend to increase the acidic strengths of phenols while electron releasing groups tend to decrease it. The effect of both types of groups is more pronounced when present at the para position than when these are present at the ortho position in the ring. However, their effect at the meta position is relatively very small.

The increasing order of reactivity of \[1{}^\circ \], \[2{}^\circ \] and \[3{}^\circ \] alcohols towards sodium metal is

A) \[1{}^\circ \text{ }<\text{ }2{}^\circ \text{ }<\text{ }3{}^\circ \]         

B) \[1{}^\circ \text{ }<\text{ }3{}^\circ \text{ }<\text{ }2{}^\circ \]

C) \[3{}^\circ \text{ }<\text{ }2{}^\circ \text{ }<\text{ }1{}^\circ \]

D) \[2{}^\circ \text{ }<\text{ }1{}^\circ \text{ }<\text{ }3{}^\circ \].