Activity of different positions in phenol with respect to electrophilic aromatic substitution

Which of the statements below is correct?



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> a) The *ortho* and *para* positions are more active than the *meta* position.
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> 
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or



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> b) The *ortho* and **para** positions are activated while the *meta* position is deactivated.
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> 
> 




As the figure below illustrates, substituents on aromatic rings that are **electron donating** like the methyl and *t*-butyl groups (and also the hydroxy group [*e.g*. phenol]) increase the reaction rate at **all** positions (*ortho, meta* and *para*) relative to benzene.


On the other hand, **electron withdrawing** substituents (the chlorine and ester carbonyl examples) decrease the reaction rate at **all** positions relative to benzene.


So for phenol, or any other electron donating substituent, while the *meta* position does react more slowly than the *ortho* and *para* positions, it still reacts faster than benzene. Therefore, **it would be incorrect to say that the *meta* position is deactivated**. Only when the rate at a given position is less than the rate for a single position in benzene could one say that the position is deactivated.


Statement "a" in your question is correct.


![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/eHx0Y.gif)


([image source](http://www2.chemistry.msu.edu/faculty/reusch/VirtTxtJml/benzrx1.htm))


For future reference a note on terminology. The above figure tells us that nitration of toluene proceeds 24.5 times faster than the nitration of benzene; that is to say that the **relative rate** for nitration of toluene is 24.5 times greater than benzene. The *meta* position in toluene reacts 3 times faster than a single position in benzene, this is referred to as the **partial rate factor**.


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