Chemistry Alcohols & Phenols PMC 2021
PMDC Verified Question 60 of 95
Phenol reacts with NaOH to form
A
Acid
B
Base
C
Salt
D
Ester
Tap any option to test your recall and reveal the step-by-step Propolis autopsy.

Propolis Cognitive Error Autopsy

Official Correct Choice:
Option C: Salt
Concept:

Phenol is weakly acidic and reacts with strong alkali in a standard neutralization reaction.

Formula:

$$ \text{C}_6\text{H}_5\text{OH} + \text{NaOH} \longrightarrow \text{C}_6\text{H}_5\text{O}^-\text{Na}^+ + \text{H}_2\text{O} $$

Solution:

  • The acidic proton of phenol is removed by the hydroxide ion to form water.


  • The resulting organic compound is sodium phenoxide (\(\text{C}_6\text{H}_5\text{ONa}\)), which is an ionic compound.


  • Ionic compounds formed by acid-base neutralization are termed salts.


Why other options are incorrect:

The product is definitively a salt. It is not an acid or a base itself in this context, and it is entirely different from an ester (which requires reaction with an acyl compound).

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