Which of the following compounds will undergo electrophilic substitution more readily?

1 question

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Q: Which of the following compounds will undergo electrophilic substitution more readily?

Solution: Toluene will undergo electrophilic substitution more readily than benzene due to the electron-donating effect of the methyl group.

Steps: 6

Step 1: Understand what electrophilic substitution is. It is a reaction where an electrophile replaces a hydrogen atom in an aromatic compound.
Step 2: Identify the compounds in the question. We are comparing toluene and benzene.
Step 3: Know the structure of toluene. Toluene has a methyl group (–CH3) attached to a benzene ring.
Step 4: Understand the effect of the methyl group. The methyl group is an electron-donating group, which means it increases the electron density on the benzene ring.
Step 5: Compare the reactivity of toluene and benzene. More electron density on the benzene ring makes it more reactive towards electrophiles.
Step 6: Conclude that toluene will undergo electrophilic substitution more readily than benzene because of the electron-donating effect of the methyl group.