Question

What happens when cyclohexane is mixed with potassium permanganate solution?

Answer 1

1. Potassium permanganate or ${\mathrm{KMnO}}_4$ is a polar inorganic compound.
2. Cyclohexane is an organic compound composed of a saturated ring.
3. It is a non-polar molecule due to the minor variation in the electronegativity of carbon and hydrogen.
4. We know that for a reaction to happen, solute needs to disintegrate in the solvent.
5. For the dissolution to happen, electrostatic interaction between the solute and solvent must be there.
6. This electrostatic interaction between a solute and a solvent leads to the breaking down of the solute components and then the motion of these components between the voids within the solvent particles happens.
7. So, dissolution of polar solute happens in a polar solvent and dissolution of non-polar solute happens in a non-polar solvent.
8. Here the solute potassium permanganate is polar and the solvent cyclohexane is non-polar.
9. So, there will not be any interaction between these substances.
10. Potassium permanganate when mixed with cyclohexane will not dissolve in it.
11. Hence, cyclohexane will not react with potassium permanganate.