Exercise 1 Question 22
How is the presence of SO2 detected?
SO2 is a colourless and pungent smelling gas.
It can be detected with the help of potassium permanganate solution. When SO2 is passed through an acidified potassium permanganate solution, it decolonizes the solution as it reduces MnO4- ions to Mn2+ ions
5SO2 + 2MnO4- + 2H2O → 5SO42- + 4H+ + 2Mn2+