Question

question
phenol is slightly soluble in water. why? select the best choice below.
select the correct answer below:
the oxygen - hydrogen dipole in the hydroxyl group is destabilized by resonance from the aromatic ring.
the (-oh) group can form carbon bonds with water molecules.
the (-oh) group can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules.
none of the above

Explanation:

Phenol has a hydroxyl (-OH) group. Water molecules also have -OH groups (in H₂O, the structure has partial positive and negative charges around H and O). The -OH group in phenol can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules. Hydrogen bonds are a type of intermolecular force. The presence of these hydrogen - bonding interactions between phenol and water contributes to the slight solubility of phenol in water.

• Option A: The resonance in the aromatic ring of phenol (which involves delocalization of electrons in the ring) does not directly explain the solubility in water. Solubility in water is more related to intermolecular forces between the solute (phenol) and the solvent (water).
• Option B: The -OH group in phenol cannot form carbon bonds with water molecules. Carbon bonds would imply covalent bonds between carbon atoms (from phenol) and other atoms in water, which is not the case for solubility - related interactions.

Answer:

C. The (-OH) group can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules.