Final answer:
The alkaline potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) in the reaction where ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH) is converted to acetic acid (CH₃COOH). The correct answer is option B.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the given reaction, CH₃CH₂OH is oxidized to CH₃COOH using alkaline KMnO₄ as a reagent. The alkaline KMnO₄ (potassium permanganate) solution is a purple color due to the MnO₄⁻ ion. When it reacts with the alcohol (ethanol in this case).
The purple color disappears as the MnO₄⁻ ions are reduced to MnO₂ which is a brown solid or Mn²⁻ ions, depending on the pH, indicating the oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid. Therefore, alkaline KMnO₄ acts as an oxidizing agent because it accepts electrons and becomes reduced in the process.
In the given reaction, CH₃CH₂OH (ethanol) is oxidized to CH₃COOH (acetic acid) by alkaline KMnO₄ in the presence of heat. Therefore, in this reaction, alkaline KMnO₄ acts as an oxidizing agent.