Question

KMnO4 was used by the cleaners to clean the water tank in our building. For a day or two all the water in our and taps cisterns was pink. On using the toilet before flushing I noticed that the colour of the water changed from pink to colourless because of urine. What happened?

Answer 1

The pink color in the water tank was caused by the use of KMnO4, a strong oxidizing agent. However, urine contains components that can react with KMnO4 and cause it to be reduced, resulting in the loss of its color.

Step-by-step explanation:

The pink color in the water tank was caused by the use of KMnO4 (potassium permanganate) by the cleaners. KMnO4 is a strong oxidizing agent and is commonly used for disinfection and cleaning purposes. When it was added to the water tank, it reacted with any impurities or contaminants present in the water, resulting in a pink color.

However, when urine was added to the toilet, the color of the water changed from pink to colorless. This is because urine contains components that can react with KMnO4 and cause it to be reduced, resulting in the loss of its color.