What is the oxidation state of manganese in potassium permanganate (KMnO4)?

💡 Solution & Explanation

In potassium permanganate, the potassium atom has an oxidation state of plus one and each oxygen atom has minus two, requiring the manganese atom to balance the charge at plus seven. This high oxidation state makes potassium permanganate a powerful oxidizing agent widely used in analytical chemistry titrations and organic synthesis. Determining oxidation numbers involves applying standard algebraic rules based on electronegativities and known elemental valencies. The deep purple color of its aqueous solutions arises from ligand-to-metal charge transfer transitions.