In the electrophilic aromatic substitution of substituted benzenes, the group is strongly activating — GOC and Organic Chemistry Basics Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Oxygen has a strong $-I$ effect, but its $+M$ effect (donation of lone pair via resonance) is vastly stronger due to efficient $2p-2p$ orbital overlap with the carbon ring. This floods the ortho and para positions with negative charge.