NEET Chemistry Question (2026) — Solution

Step-by-step solution

The reaction of benzene with methyl chloride in the presence of anhydrous AlCl _3 is a Friedel-Crafts alkylation, which yields toluene (W). C _6 H _6 + CH _3 Cl Anhydr. AlCl _3 C _6 H _5 CH _3 Nitration of toluene with a mixture of HNO _3 and H _2 SO _4 yields a mixture of ortho-nitrotoluene and para-nitrotoluene as the major products (X and Y). C _6 H _5 CH _3 [ warm ] dil. HNO _3 + dil. H _2 SO _4 o-nitrotoluene + p-nitrotoluene The boiling point of o-nitrotoluene is 222^ C and that of p-nitrotoluene is 238^ C . Since the difference in their boiling points is small, they are separated by fractional distillation. Answer: Fractional distillation