Consider the following aromatic compounds: (I) Anisole (II) Toluene (III) Benzene (IV) Chlorobenzene The correct decreasing order of their reactivity towards electrophilic aromatic substitution is:

Step-by-step solution

The reactivity of an aromatic ring towards electrophilic substitution depends on the electron density on the ring. Electron-donating groups increase reactivity, while electron-withdrawing groups decrease it. In Anisole (I), the - OCH ₃ group is strongly activating due to its strong +M (resonance) effect. In Toluene (II), the - CH ₃ group is weakly activating due to hyperconjugation and +I effect. Benzene (III) is the standard reference. In Chlorobenzene (IV), the - Cl atom is deactivating because its electron-withd