EXPERIMENT NUMBER.

10
Estimation OF KMnO4 usingstandard Oxalic acid solution
AIM:
(i)To prepare 100ml 1/20M oxalic acid solution and with its help, determine the
molarity and strength of given KMnO4 solution.
(ii) Find the % purity of the impure sample of KMNO4, in which3.5g of KMnO4has
been dissolved per litre of water.
APPARATUS: Chemical balance 100ml , measuring flask, wash bottle, glass
funnel, glass rod, burette, pipete, burette stand, tripod stand, wire gauze, Bunsen
burner.
CHEMICALS: High purity oxalic acid, KMnO4, sulphuric acid, distilled H2O.
THEORY:
Being a primary standard oxalic acid can be prepared by directly weighing
crystalline oxalic acid (H2C2O4. 2H2O) molecular weight of which is 126. To
prepare 100ml of M/20 oxalic acid solution, crystalline oxalic acid required will
be:
1000ml of 1.0M Oxalic acid solution require 126g
100ml of 1/20M Oxalic acid solution require x g

x=

100 x 126 x 1/ 20
1000

= 0.63g

Potassium permagnate solution oxidises oxalic acid to CO2 in acidic medium at a

temperature of about 60o and itself gets reduced to colourless manganese ions.

The reaction that occurs can be represented as

Reduction:[MnO4- + 8H+ + 5e- Mn2+ + 4H2O]x2
Oxidation: [C2O42- 2CO2 + 2e-] x 5

Redox reaction: 2MnO4-+16H+ +5C2O42- 2Mn2+ +10CO2 +8H2O

PROCEDURE:
(A)
PREPARATION OF STANDARD SOLUTION:
1. Take the exact amount of oxalic acid that is 0.63g. Transfer the weighted
oxalic acid to a glass funnel placed above a 100ml volumetric flask.
2. Give a fine spray of distilled water from the wash bottle to the funnel to
bring everything down to the volumetric flask. Shake the solution well to
get a concentrated solution.
3. Add more water from the wash bottle to makeup the solution well and
keep.
(B)
TITRATION:
1. Rinse the burette with KMnO4 solution and fill it with the same solution.
2. Remove all air bubbles from the burette. Rinse the pipette with oxalic
acid solution.
3. Pipette out 10ml of M/20 oxalic acid solution to a dean conical flask.
Take one test tube full with dil. H2SO4 (4N) and add to the oxalic acid
solution.
4. Shake that mixture. Warm the mixture to 60 o -70o and titrate it against
KMnO4 solution in the burette.
5. Allow the KMnO4 solution to run into the flask with constant shaking till
a permanent pink colour is reached. Read the upper measure of the
burette and record it as final reading .Repeat the titration till concordant
values are obtained.
INDICATOR: KMnO4 solution (self-indicator)

RESULT:
(a) Molarity of the given KMnO4 solution = ____M
(b) The strength of the given KMnO4 solution = ______g/L
(c) The % purity of the given KMnO4 = ____%
PRECAUTIONS:
1.
2.
3.
4.

For preparing the standard solution, apparatus should be clean.

Standard solution should be prepared in distilled water.
Weighing should be done accurately.
Since the lower meniscus of KMnO4 is not visible, read the upper
meniscus.
5. Rinse the burette and pipette before use.

(FOLLOWING NEED TO BE WRITTEN ON THE BLANK PAGE OF THE

JOURNAL WITH PENCIL)
Short Procedure Table
1.
2.

Solution in the burette

Solution in the flask

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Indicator used
Temperature
Medium
End point
Molar mass of KMnO4

KMnO4
10ml Oxalic acid solution + 1 test tube
H2SO4
Self-indicator (KMnO4)
60o 70o C
Acidic
Colourless to permanent light pink colour
158g

THEORY
The ionic equations are:
[MnO4- + 8H+ + 5e- Mn2+ + 4H2O] x 2
[C2O42- 2CO2 + 2e-] x 5

2MnO4- + 16H+ + 5C2O42- 2Mn2+ +10CO2 +8H2O

Oxalic acid being a primary standard; its solution can be prepared by direct
weighing.
Calculation of the amount of Oxalic acid in 100ml solution:
1000ml of 1.0M Oxalic acid solution require 126g
100ml of 1/20M Oxalic acid solution require x g

x=

100 x 126 x 1/ 20
1000

= 0.63g

OBSERVATION TABLE
Sr.No Volume of
Oxalic acid
solution (ml)
1.
10ml
2.
10ml
3.
10ml

Initial
Final Burette
Burette
reading (ml)
reading (ml)
0.0ml
0.0ml
0.0ml

Volume of
KMnO4
used (ml)

Concordant
reading

CALCULATIONS
M ( KMnO 4 ) x V (KMnO 4)
M ( oxalic acid ) x V (oxalic acid)

= 5

Molarity ( KMnO 4 )= M

Strength ( KMnO 4 ) = Molarity x Molecular Mass of KMnO4 (158g) =

________ g/L
Percentage Purity =

Calculated strength
x 100
= ___________ %
Given strength