The left ring would undergo nitration more easily because it has an activating group attached to it (the O has plenty of electrons to delocalize across the entire ring) whereas the right ring has a carbonyl as it\'s immediate substituent, which is a withdrawing group (it\'s sucking up electrons in resonance and delivering it to the oxygen.) Solution The left ring would undergo nitration more easily because it has an activating group attached to it (the O has plenty of electrons to delocalize across the entire ring) whereas the right ring has a carbonyl as it\'s immediate substituent, which is a withdrawing group (it\'s sucking up electrons in resonance and delivering it to the oxygen.).