Final answer:
Both the assertion that ethanol is a weaker acid than phenol and the reason that sodium ethoxide can be prepared from ethanol and aqueous NaOH are correct. However, the ability to form sodium ethoxide does not explain the relative acid strength of ethanol compared to phenol. The correct answer is (e) Both assertion and reason are correct statements but reason is not correct explanation of assertion.
Step-by-step explanation:
Assertion (A) states that ethanol is a weaker acid than phenol. This assertion is correct because phenols, compounds where an OH group is directly attached to an aromatic ring, are slightly acidic in water due to the resonance stabilization of the phenoxide ion that is not present in alcohols like ethanol. Therefore, phenols like phenol have a lower pKa (~10) compared to alcohols (~16 to ~25), making them stronger acids.
Reason (R) states that sodium ethoxide can be prepared by the reaction of ethanol with aqueous NaOH. This is correct as well, as ethanol (a primary alcohol) can react with NaOH to form sodium ethoxide and water.
However, this reaction does not explain why ethanol is a weaker acid than phenol, because the ability to form a salt with NaOH is not directly related to the acid strength but rather to the alcohol being able to react with bases.
Therefore, the answer is (e) Both assertion and reason are correct statements but reason is not correct explanation of assertion.