By the Arrhenius definition of an acid and base, alcohol is neither acidic nor basic when dissolved in water, as it neither produces H+ nor OH- in solution. They are generally weak acids. ... Alcohols are organic compounds in which a hydrogen atom of an aliphatic carbon is replaced with a hydroxyl group.

Why are alcohols acidic in nature?

The acidic nature of alcohols is due to the polarity of O-H bond. On account of this, the shared pair shifts towards O atom and the O-H bond becomes weak. This facilitates the release of a proton from the molecule. This is why alcohols behave as weak acids.

What is the reason for acidity of alcohol?

The key factor in determining acidity is the stability of the conjugate base. Any factor which makes the conjugate base more stable will increase the acidity of the acid.