Hydroxy Compounds and Ethers — Chemistry STD 12 — Question
Tamilnadu BoardEnglish MediumSTD 12ChemistryHydroxy Compounds and Ethers2 Marks
Question
Write a note about acidity of aliphatic alcohols.
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Answer
1. According to Bronsted theory, an acid is defined as a proton donor and the acid strength is the tendency to give up a proton. Alcohols are similarly acidic when compared with water. Except methanol, all other alcohols are weaker acid than water. The $K _{ a }$ value for water is $1.8 \times 10^{-16}$ where as for alcohols the Ka value in the order $10^{-18}$ to $10^{-16}$.
$\text { 2. } 2 C_2 H_5-OH+2 Na \rightarrow 2 C_2 H_5 ONa+H_2 \uparrow$
This reaction explains the acidic nature of alcohol as it liberates $H _2$ gas with Na metal.
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