Salicylic acid is more acidic than o-methoxybenzoic acid though both have electron releasing groups i.e., \(-\mathrm{OH}\) and \(-\mathrm{OCH}_{3} .\) This is because (a) \(-\mathrm{OH}\) is a stronger electron releasing group compared to \(-\mathrm{OCH}_{3}\). (b) salicylate ion is stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonding. (c) salicylic acid has two replaceable hydrogen atoms. (d) \(-\mathrm{OCH}_{3}\) has a stronger steric effect to prevent the stabilization of the carboxylate anion.

Salicylic acid has a carboxylic acid group (-COOH) and a hydroxyl group (-OH) attached to a benzene ring, while o-methoxybenzoic acid has a carboxylic acid group (-COOH) and a methoxy group (-OCH3) attached to a benzene ring. Step 2: Analyzing acidity in terms of electron releasing groups

Both salicylic acid and o-methoxybenzoic acid have electron releasing groups (-OH and -OCH3), which donate electron density into the benzene ring. However, we need to analyze their effect on the acidity of the compounds. Step 3: Assessing the reason for salicylic acid's higher acidity

Option (a) suggests that -OH is a stronger electron-releasing group compared to -OCH3, which isn't a valid reason for higher acidity. Option (b) suggests that the salicylate ion (conjugate base of salicylic acid) is stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonding, which is a valid reason for higher acidity as more stable conjugate bases make the corresponding acids more acidic. Option (c) states that salicylic acid has two replaceable hydrogen atoms. This is incorrect, as only the hydrogen in the carboxylic acid group is acidic, while the hydrogen in the -OH group is not acidic due to its attachment to the benzene ring. Option (d) suggests that the steric effect of -OCH3 prevents stabilization of the carboxylate anion, which is not the main reason for the difference in acidity between the two compounds. Step 4: Choosing the correct answer

Based on the analysis, the correct option is (b), which states that the salicylate ion is stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonding, making salicylic acid more acidic compared to o-methoxybenzoic acid.