Phenol is more acidic than that of ethanol because:(A). Phenoxide ion is bulkier than ethoxide.(B). Phenoxide ion is a stronger base than ethoxide.(C). Phenoxide ion is stabilized through delocalisation.(D). Phenoxide ion is less stable than ethoxide.

The correct answer is (C). Phenoxide ion is stabilized through delocalization.

Phenol (C6H5OH) is more acidic than ethanol (CH3CH2OH) due to the presence of an aromatic ring in phenol. The acidity of a compound is determined by the stability of its conjugate base, which in this case is the phenoxide ion (C6H5O-).

The phenoxide ion is stabilized through delocalization of the negative charge over the entire aromatic ring. The presence of the electron-donating benzene ring allows for resonance stabilization, which disperses the negative charge across the entire molecule. This delocalization of the negative charge makes the phenoxide ion more stable and therefore more likely to form, increasing the acidity of phenol.

In contrast, the ethoxide ion formed from ethanol lacks this resonance stabilization because there is no aromatic ring present. As a result, the ethoxide ion is less stable than the phenoxide ion, making ethanol less acidic compared to phenol.

Therefore, option (C) correctly explains why phenol is more acidic than ethanol.