Arrange the following compounds in increasing order of acidity and give a suitable explanation. Phenol, o-nitrophenol. o-cresol 

This is a short answer type question as classified in NCERT Exemplar

The increasing order of acidity:

o-cresol  <  Phenol   <  o-nitrophenol

The electron-withdrawing group on the substituted phenol increases the acidity due to increasing the polarity of the O-H bond and thus, the acidity increases  and vice versa. -N