Ah, I struggled so much with this in my pre-university classes. The nitro group withdraws electron density strongly, deactivating the ring and making the meta position slightly less deficient, so the electrophile attacks there. But the OH group donates electrons, stabilising the intermediates at ortho and para positions. I remember this only because my friend Priya, an ammayi who became a chemistry teacher, finally explained it to me over chai in my shop, using rupees and bills as atoms. It taught me that some concepts need a patient friend, not just a textbook.
#exams#study
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