Question

What is the equation for this reaction: Potassium permanganate reacts with aluminum sulfate to produce potassium sulfate and aluminum permanganate?

Answer 1

We know that the reaction of aluminium sulphate with acidified Potassium permanganate is an example of a redox reaction. In redox reactions, oxidation and reduction take place simultaneously. In this type of reaction, one species gets oxidised and the other gets reduced.

Complete answer:
A redox reaction is given as a chemical reaction which is governed via transfer of electrons between two atoms or molecules participating in the reaction. This transfer of electrons is observed by calculating the changes that occur in the oxidation states of the reacting species. Potassium permanganate is purple in color, when you add acidified potassium permanganate into a ferrous sulphate solution, then the purple colour of the solution disappeared from the solution as the permanganate ion acts as an oxidizing agent in the solution and is reduced and the ferrous ion is oxidised by converting the ferrous ion into ferric ion.
$6KMn{{O}_{4}}+A{{l}_{2}}{{\left( S{{O}_{4}} \right)}_{3}}\to 2Al{{\left( Mn{{O}_{4}} \right)}_{3}}+3{{K}_{2}}\left( S{{O}_{4}} \right)$
The purple permanganate changes to colourless manganese sulphate. In the presence of acid, potassium permanganate acts as a strong acid. Since Potassium permanganate is an unstable compound, it decomposes in presence of ferrous sulphate. We should be careful with the use of permanganate anion, as it is a POTENT oxidant. Permanganate anion is typically reduced to (almost) COLOURLESS $M{{n}^{2+}}$ (note that other reduction products are possible, but these depend on conditions):
$Mn{{O}^{-4}}+8{{H}^{+}}+5{{e}^{-}}\to M{{n}^{2+}}+4{{H}_{2}}O$ .

Note:
Remember that the oxidation numbers represent the potential charge present on an atom in its ionic form. If the atom's oxidation is decreased in a reaction, then it is said to be reduced. If it increases, then the atom is said to get oxidized.