During the nitration of benzene using a standard nitrating mixture of concentrated and concentrated — Aromatic Hydrocarbons Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

In the nitrating mixture, sulfuric acid ($H_2SO_4$) is a stronger acid than nitric acid ($HNO_3$). Therefore, $HNO_3$ acts as a Bronsted base, accepting a proton to form $H_2O^+-NO_2$, which then loses a molecule of water to generate the powerful electrophile, the nitronium ion ($NO_2^+$).