Arrange the following compounds in decreasing order of their reactivity towards electrophilic addition of Br ₂ in CHCl ₃ : (I) CH ₂= CH - CO ₂ CH ₃ (II) CH ₂= CH - CH ₃ (III) CH ₂= CH - O - CH ₃

Step-by-step solution

The reactivity of an alkene towards electrophilic addition of Br ₂ depends on the electron density of the carbon-carbon double bond. Higher electron density makes the alkene more nucleophilic, thereby increasing its reactivity towards electrophiles. Electron-donating groups (EDG) increase the electron density of the double bond, while electron-withdrawing groups (EWG) decrease it. Analyzing the given compounds: (III) CH ₂= CH - O - CH ₃ : The - O - CH ₃ group is a strong electron-donating group due to its +M (reson