Hello everybody,

Question

I'm told that potassium permanganate is dissolved in an aqueous buffer of ammonia and ammonium at equal concentrations (1M), and treated with 1M sodium hypochlorite, the permanganate ion is reduced to insoluble manganese dioxide as the hypochlorite ion is oxiddized to perchlorate ion.

I have the notes to the solution of the problem, but I noticed that he considered the solution to be acidic?

Why???
The buffer should have no affect on pH and OCl^- is a weak bronstend lowry base. So why wouldn't the solution be basic?

A buffer of NH3 and an ammonium salt SURELY is basic. That is more profound than OCl^-. Furthermore, if permanganate is reduced to MnO2, that only goes to MnO2 in basic solution. In acidic solution the permanganate goes to Mn^+2. I suspect someone just wrote acidic. I agree with you that it should be a basic solution (or at least neutral).

Thanks Dr.Bob, I'll bring that to my proffesor's attention