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The ortho effect in substituted benzoic acids is mainly attributed to

  1. Ahydrogen bonding with the solvent only
  2. Bsteric hindrance twisting the group out of the plane of the ring
  3. Cincrease in ring electron density by the ortho group
  4. Dcomplete loss of the carboxyl proton in solution

Answer: B

An ortho substituent crowds the group and rotates it out of the plane of the benzene ring. Resonance between the ring and the carbonyl is reduced, which makes the acid stronger than benzoic acid. This is called steric inhibition of resonance.
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