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Question:

Assuming complete ionization, same moles of which of the following compounds will require the least amount of acidified KMnO4 for complete oxidation?

FeC2O4

FeSO3

Fe(NO2)2

FeSO4

Solution:

Assuming complete ionization, the same moles of FeSO4 will require the least amount of acidified KMnO4 for complete oxidation. This is because the oxidation state of iron in FeSO4 is +2, and it only needs to be oxidized to +3. In contrast, the other compounds have iron in lower oxidation states and/or other oxidizable components that require more electrons to be transferred during oxidation. Let's consider the balanced redox reactions for each compound:

FeC2O4 involves the oxidation of both Fe(II) and C2O4(2-), requiring more KMnO4.
FeSO3 involves the oxidation of Fe(II) and SO3(2-), requiring more KMnO4.
Fe(NO2)2 involves the oxidation of Fe(II) and NO2(-), requiring more KMnO4.
FeSO4 only involves the oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III), requiring the least KMnO4.