Answer:
a. C₆H₅OH(aq)
Explanation:
The reaction of phenol with water is shown below as:-
[tex]C_6H_5OH_{(aq)}+H_2O_{(l)}\rightarrow C_6H_5O^-_{(aq)}+H_3o^+_{(aq)}[/tex]
According to Arrhenius, The specie which furnish protons in solution is known as acid. In the above reaction, phenol, [tex]C_6H_5OH[/tex] acts as an acid by contributing a H⁺ ion to create H₃O⁺ in the chemical equation.
a. C₆H₅OH(aq) is the answer