Experiment Number: 08

Name of the experiment:

Determination of Ferrous Ion in a
Solution by Standard Potassium
Permanganate (KMnO4) Solution.
Course: Chem-114

Name: Arup Raton Roy

Roll: 200305059
Group: A2
Partners Roll:200305059
Department: C.S.E.

Date of Performance: 25/05/2004

Date of Submission: 08/06/2004

Objective:
The main objective of this experiment is to
determine the amount of Ferrous iron in per litre of a
supplied
solution
by
using
standard
potassium
permanganate solution. As the reaction that occurs in this
experiment is a redox reaction, so this experiment helps to
study about oxidation and reduction theory.
There is also some practical application of this experiment.
By this experiment, the percentage of purity of Iron in any
substance can also be determined. The percentage of
ferrous iron in any alloy can also be determined by this
experiment. Even the amount of Ferric iron can be
determined by first turning it to ferrous iron through redox
reaction.

Theory:

In this experiment, the amount of iron in a

supplied solution is determined. The reaction that occurs
here is oxidation and reduction reaction. An oxidationreduction reaction (redox) is a reaction in which electrons
are transferred between species or in which atoms change
oxidation numbers. Oxidation is the half reaction in which
there is loss of electrons by a species. And reduction is the
half reaction in which there is a gain of electrons by a
species.
Reaction involved in this reaction is:
KMnO4 + 5Fe2+ K+ + Mn2+ + 4H2O + 5Fe3+
In this reaction, Fe+2 is oxidized into Fe+3. And MnO4-2 is
reduced to Mn+2.
From the above reaction we get:

1 equivalent weight of KMnO4 1 equivalent weight of

Fe+2
1000 ml (N) KMnO4 solution 1000 ml (N) ferrous
iron solution
1 atomic weight of
iron
So, 1000 ml (N) KMnO4 solution should be equivalent
to one gram atomic weight that is 55.855 gram of iron.
Therefore,
1 ml of (N) KMnO4 0.5585 gram of
iron
So, the weight of iron in the supplied solution may
then be easily calculated using the above relation.

Apparatus:

1. Conical flask
2. Burette
3. Pipette
4. Volumetric flask
5. Stand
6. Funnel

Name of the chemicals used:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Sodium Oxalate (Na2C2O4)

Mohrs Salt( (NH4)2SO4.FeSO4.6H2O)
H2SO4 solution (2N)
KMnO4 solution
Distilled water

Data:
TABLE: 1
(Standardization of Potassium Permanganate solution
with Standard Sodium Oxalate solution)

Numbe
r of
Obser-vation

Volume
of
Na2C2O4

Burette
reading
Initial
Readi
ng

Final
Readi
ng

ml
6.2
15.2
24.3

Ml
15.2
24.3
33.4

Volume
of
KMnO4
ml

Ml
01
02
03

10
10
10

9.0
9.1
9.1

Averag Streng
e
th
Volum
Of
e of
KMnO KMnO4
N
4
Ml
9.1

0.054

TABLE: 2
(Determination of Ferrous Iron by Standard Potassium
Permanganate Solution)
Numbe
r of
Obser-vation

Burette
reading
Volume
Of
Fe2+
Solution

Initial
Readi
ng

Final
Readi
ng

Volume
of
KMnO4

Ml
01
02
03
04

10
10
10
10

Averag
e
Volum
e of
KMnO
4

ml

Ml

ml

15.6
24.2
32.6
41.1

24.2
32.6
41.1
49.7

8.6
8.5
8.5
8.6

Ml
8.5

Calculation:
from Vred X Sred = Vox X Sox
Here,
VKMnO4 = 9.1 ml
SNa2C2O4 = 0.05 N
VNa2C2O4 = 10 ml
So, SNa2C2O4 = 0.054N
Again,
1000 ml (1.0N) KMnO4 = 55.855 gm Fe+2(10 ml)
=>
8.5 ml 0.054N KMnO4 = 0.0256 gm Fe+2 (10 ml)
Thus the amount of iron present per litre
= ( 0.0256 X 100 ) gm
= 2.56 gm

Result:
The amount of iron (in gm) present in the
supplied Fe+2 solution (per litre) is:
WFe = 2.56 gm.

Percentage of error:
(Known Value Observed Value) X
100
Percentage of error =
Known value
Known amount of iron = 2.533 gm
Observed amount of iron = 2.56 gm
Percentage of error = ((2.533 2.56)/2.533) X 100 %
= -1.06%

Discussion:
The following causes may be mentioned for the slight
deviation of the result from the original one:
1) As the color change of the titration of KMnO4 with
Na2C2O4 is very
confusing, the end point of the

titration may not have been properly

determined.
2) As the color change is very confusing, the end point
of the titration may not have been properly
determined. During titration one or two extra drop
of KMnO4 might have been added to the Na2C2O4
solution after the end point.