org06 Test for ethylen with potassium permanganate
 

The ethylen gas of the previous experiments is sufficient for 3 experiments: Testing with bromine water, burning, testing with potassium permanaganate. For the third experiment transfer 6 ml ethylen into a Liquemin bottle.
* Left: From a syringe add 1.5 ml diluted potassium permanganate solution to the bottle with ethylen, shake . Observation Photo 2: The pink colour disappears during mixing. 3. Photo: Add another 1.5 ml pink potassium permanganate solution.
Photo rechts: The pink colour disappears again. This time a brown solid is formed.
Explanation to photo 1 and 2: Ethylen (CH2=CH2) is oxidized by permanganate. The alcohol ethane-diole HO-CH2-CH2-OH is formed, while permanganate ions are reduced leaving colourless  manganese ions Mn2+(aq).
Explanation to photos 3 and 4: The second sample of ethylen was only sufficient to reduce potassium permanganate to the stage of insoluble manganese dioxide MnO2(s).


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