Question

rate of electrophilic substitution depends on

Answer 1

During electrophilic substitution +R and -R groups affect the rate of reaction. Where the presence of a +R group increases the rate and -R group decreases the rate of reaction.

This is due to the high electron density of the aromatic compounds which have electron clouds above and below due to the p-p bond overlap. So this makes them highly electron dense and this is also the reason why nucleophilic substitution doesn't take place in aromatic compounds ( due to negative-negative charge repulsion ). So Electrophilic Substitution takes place.

Now as we see higher the electron charge the more it will attract a positive charge towards it ( as in electrophilic substitution ).

So the presence of +R group giving electron to the ring makes it electron dense whereas the -R group takes electron making it less electron dense ( meaning less attraction of + charge ).

So I guess by now you could've made it out yourself the answer to your question, which will be Anisole > Benzene > Nitrobenzene.

[ Because OCH3 is a +R group and NO2 being a -R group. ] So Anisole has the highest electron density then comes benzene before Nitrobenzene because there NO2 lowers e- density than benzene. ]