[cloudy1290]

What happens when phenol is treated with NaOH aqueous solution?

1) The product is soluble in water.
2) The product is precipitated.
3) Nothng happens
4) It turns blue.
5) It turns yellow.

The answer key is 1. My question is that this reaction gives sodium phenoxide which is colourless crystalline solid. Isn't 2) correct answer too?

[OrganicDan96]

just because it's a crystalline solid when pure doesn't mean it precipitates out from solution. why do you think this might be?

[cloudy1290]

just because it's a crystalline solid when pure doesn't mean it precipitates out from solution. why do you think this might be?

I understood that solid from reaction is precipitate. And I just realized that I'm wrong. Could you explain more please?

[OrganicDan96]

do you know what the product of the reaction is?

[AWK]

The solubility of sodium phenoxide in water is about 1 kg/L at 25°C (very soluble)

[cloudy1290]

do you know what the product of the reaction is?

C6H5OH + NaOH → C6H5ONa+ H2O

and C6H5ONa (Sodium phenoxide) is a white crystalline solid that's why I said it was precipitate.

[jeffmoonchop]

Its solid as long as its not dissolved in water

[Borek]

and C6H5ONa (Sodium phenoxide) is a white crystalline solid that's why I said it was precipitate.

As AWK told you - it has a high solubility, so it won't easily drop out of the solution. Yes, you can dry the solution to get the solid, but it is not something that will happen automatically.

[cloudy1290]

many thanks everyone