Explain the following behaviours : (i) Alcohols are more soluble in water than the hydrocarbons of comparable molecular masses. (ii) Ortho - nitrophenol is more acidic than ortho - methoxyphenol. (iii) Cumene is a better starting material for the preparation of phenol.

Explain the following behaviours : (i) Alcohols are more soluble in w

1.	Explain the following behaviours : (i) Alcohols are more soluble in water than the hydrocarbons of comparable molecular masses. (ii) Ortho - nitrophenol is more acidic than ortho - methoxyphenol. (iii) Cumene is a better starting material for the preparation of phenol.
Answer» SOLUTION :(i) Hydrogen bonding takes place between ALCOHOL and water molecules as under : `H-overset(H)overset(\|)O* * * * H-overset(r)overset(\|)O * * * H-overset(H)overset(\|)O * * * H-overset(R )overset(\|)O * * * *` Therefore ALCOHOLS are soluble in water. No such hydrogen bonding takes place between HYDROCARBON and water molecules. (ii) Ortho - nitrophenol is more acidic than ortho - methoxyphenol because the phenoxide ion obtained after the dissociation is stabilised by resonance in the case of o - nitrophenol. Such stabilisation does not happen in the case of o - methoxyphenol. (iii) Side product formed in this reaction is acetone which is another important organic compound.