Description of experiment
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Needed compounds:
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potassium permanganate : KMnO4
sodium chloride : NaCl
sulphuric acid : H2SO4
acetone : CH3 CO CH3
ethanol : CH3CH2OH
Class:
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elem=C
redox
Summary:
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When ethanol and acetone are mixed, together with sulphuric acid, then no
special visible reaction occurs. The compounds are bound to the acid. Their
smell hardly exists after mixing with the acid.
The mixture is not capable anymore of producing HCl from NaCl, nor does it
show a strong reaction with KMnO4 (as was expected, due to the presence of
concentrated H2SO4).
Description:
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Add some H2SO4 (95% by weight) to ethanol (96% by weight) and mix well: A
lot of heat is produced, no further reaction is observed.
After cooling, add some acetone to the mixture: No visible reaction. After
shaking, the smell of acetone has disappeared, there is just a faint sweet
odour.
Add more H2SO4 (95%): More heat is produced, no further visible effects. The
resulting liquid still is colourless and almost odourless.
Add some solid NaCl: No visible reaction, no formation of a gas, no smell of
HCl.
Add a few crystals of KMnO4: No visible reaction, the crystals do not dissolve
(or they dissolve very slowly).
Add a large amount of water: The mixture completely dissolves in the water,
the solid NaCl also quickly dissolves. The solid KMnO4 also dissolves, but
more slowly. The purple compound is reduced by the liquid (ethanol reduces
the permanganate). After a while of shaking, all solid KMnO4 has dissolved
and the liquid is colourless. The liquid has a faint vinegar-like smell.