Question

What is `"nascent oxygen"`, and how does it relate to potassium permanganate?

Answer 1

`"Nascent oxygen"` is a bit of an old-fashioned term......

Explanation:

But you really just need to heat up `"potassium permanganate"`: oxygen (as oxide) is oxidized, and manganese is reduced......

`MnO_4^(-) +4H^(+) + 3e^(-) rarrMnO_2(s) + 2H_2O` `(i)`

`O^(2-) rarr 1/2O_2(g) + 2e^(-)` `(ii)`

And so take `2xx(i)+3xx(ii)`

`2MnO_4^(-) +underbrace(8H^(+) +3O^(2-))_(3H_2O+2H^+) + 6e^(-)rarr2MnO_2(s) + 4H_2O+ 3/2O_2(g) + 6e^(-)`

And we cancel out common reagents.....

`2MnO_4^(-) +2H^+rarr2MnO_2(s) + H_2O+ 3/2O_2(g)`

Charge and mass are balanced as is required.......

We could look at this another way, and consider the decomposition of (shortlived!) permanganic acid:

`2HMnO_4rarr2MnO_2(s) + H_2O+ 3/2O_2(g)`