Question

Give reason why phenol is more acidic than methanol

Answer 1

Phenol is far more acidic than methanol. This is because the phenolate conjugate base is resonance stabilised. The methoxide conjugate base has no such stabilisation, and therefore is formed much more reluctantly.

Answer 2

Phenol is more acidic because when it loses one H+ ion it form phenoxide ion which is stable(resonance stabalised). But alcohols does not give H+ ions easily to form alkoxide ion which is not stable and readily take the H+ ion and form alcohol again.