Total Number of Compounds Soluble in Aqueous NaOH
Amongst the following, the total number of compounds soluble in aqueous is

Official Numerical Answer4
Step-by-Step Solution
To determine the total number of compounds soluble in aqueous , we must consider the acidity of the functional groups present in each structure:
- Criterion for Solubility in Aqueous :
A compound is soluble in aqueous sodium hydroxide () if it contains functional groups that are acidic enough () to undergo an acid-base neutralization reaction with . This deprotonation converts the organic compound into a water-soluble ionic salt (e.g., sodium carboxylates or sodium phenoxides).- Carboxylic acids (, ) and phenols (, ) are acidic enough to react with aqueous and dissolve.
- Aliphatic alcohols (, ), amines, ethers, hydrocarbons, and neutral aromatic compounds (such as nitrobenzene) do not react significantly with and remain insoluble.
-
Analysis of the Given Compounds:
-
Compound 1: -Dimethylaniline ()
- Functional group: Tertiary aromatic amine (basic).
- Acidity: Contains no acidic protons to react with .
- Solubility: Insoluble in aqueous .
-
Compound 2: Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid ()
- Functional group: Carboxylic acid ().
- Reaction:
- Solubility: Soluble due to salt formation.
-
Compound 3: 2-Ethoxybenzyl alcohol ()
- Functional group: Ether and benzylic (aliphatic) alcohol ().
- Acidity: Benzylic alcohols are not acidic enough to react with .
- Solubility: Insoluble in aqueous .
-
Compound 4: Phenol ()
- Functional group: Phenolic hydroxyl group ().
- Reaction:
- Solubility: Soluble due to formation of sodium phenoxide.
-
Compound 5: Nitrobenzene ()
- Functional group: Nitro group attached to benzene ring.
- Acidity: Neutral compound, no acidic protons.
- Solubility: Insoluble in aqueous .
-
Compound 6: 4-(Dimethylamino)phenol ()
- Functional group: Phenolic hydroxyl group () and tertiary amine.
- Reaction: The phenolic group reacts with to yield a soluble phenoxide salt:
- Solubility: Soluble.
-
Compound 7: 1,2-Diethylbenzene ()
- Functional group: Aromatic hydrocarbon.
- Acidity: Non-acidic.
- Solubility: Insoluble in aqueous .
-
Compound 8: 1-Naphthoic acid ()
- Functional group: Carboxylic acid ().
- Reaction:
- Solubility: Soluble due to salt formation.
-
- Conclusion:
The compounds soluble in aqueous are:
- Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid
- Phenol
- 4-(Dimethylamino)phenol
- 1-Naphthoic acid
Thus, the total number of compounds soluble in aqueous is 4.