Purpose

The purpose of this lab is to observe the ability of potassium permanganate to form a solutions with water and vegetable oil.

Materials

1. Potassium permanganate (KMnO4).
2. Water, vegetable oil.
3. Ring stand, test-tube clamp, candle (optional)
4. SAFETY: goggles at all times!

Procedure

1. Put on your goggles.
2. Put about three inches of water in a clean test tube.
3. Put about one-half inch of vegetable oil in the test tube. Record your observations.
4. Clamp your test tube to the ring stand so the bottom is about 5 inches above the base. Add a few flakes of potassium permanganate to your test tube. Observe patiently for about ten minutes (this is more interesting with less permanganate).
5. If time permits, light a small candle under the test tube, and watch for another few minutes. DO NOT let the contents boil.
6. Dispose of the contents of the test tube according to your teacher's instructions.

Write Up

This lab has no analysis section, so you only need to include a title section, purpose, and observation table. Discuss which materials are soluble or miscible together, and which ones are not. Which one(s) act as solvents, and which ones act as solutes? Make sure they are clear and complete and super-easy to read (and also correct)!

Scoring

[4] Title
[4] Purpose
[4] Observations
[4] Neatness

[MHS Chem page]