Question

Dilute alkaline $KMnO_4$ is:
A. an oxidising agent
B. a reducing agent
C. a bleaching agent
D. a drying agent

Answer 1

Hint: The function of dilute alkaline potassium permanganate is to oxidize the compounds. In organic chemistry, alkaline potassium permanganate is used to oxidize the hydrocarbons to alcohol and then to aldehyde or ketone and then finally to a carboxylic acid.

Complete step by step answer:
An oxidising agent is any substance that reduces itself in order to oxidize others. An oxidising agent gains the electrons to get reduced and the substance which donates it the electrons gets oxidized. This compound is a strong oxidizing agent because the elements become more electronegative as the oxidation states of their atoms increase. Potassium permanganate has the anion MnO4- in which that is the reason for its strong oxidizing properties. The oxidation state of manganese in potassium permanganate is equal to +7. This means that the oxidation state of manganese can reduce to +6, +5, +4, +3, +2 oxidation states. Due to these variable oxidation states, the manganese can reduce by attaining electrons on a wide scale and thus acts as a very strong oxidising agent under alkaline conditions.

Thus, the correct option is A.

Note:
If the substances gain electrons to reduce themselves and oxidize the other substances, it acts as an oxidizing agent. In the case of a reducing agent, the agent itself donates electrons to the other substances to reduce them and gets oxidized.