Toluene is treated with excess chlorine in sunlight at its boiling point, and the product is hydrolysed with hot aqueous alkali followed by acidification. The final organic product is:

Answer: C

Radical chlorination of the methyl group proceeds to

C X_{6} H X_{5} CCl X_{3}

. Hydrolysis of the trichloromethyl group gives the carboxylic acid (via the unstable

C X_{6} H X_{5} C (OH) X_{3}

), so benzoic acid is formed.