Assertion (A) : p-nitrophenol is less acidic than phenol.
Reason (R) : Nitro group is electron withdrawing and helps in the stabilisation of p-nitrophenoxide ion.
Ans. The assertion (A) states that p-nitrophenol is less acidic than phenol, while the reason (R) provided is that the nitro group is electron-withdrawing and helps in the stabilization of the p-nitrophenoxide ion.
Let’s analyze:
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Assertion (A) is correct. Phenol is more acidic than p-nitrophenol. This is because the presence of the nitro group (-NO2) in p-nitrophenol withdraws electron density from the phenoxide ion, making it less stable compared to the phenoxide ion derived from phenol. Thus, p-nitrophenol is less acidic than phenol.
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Reason (R) supports Assertion (A) by explaining that the electron-withdrawing nature of the nitro group stabilizes the resulting phenoxide ion, making it less acidic compared to phenol.
