Definition

1. Noun:
   • An unstable purple acid (HMnO₄) known only in solution or as permanganate salts: Permanganic acid is a chemical compound, a strong oxidizing agent that is not isolatable in pure form. It exists in aqueous solution or as its salts, which are called permanganates.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Permanganic acid is a powerful oxidizing agent used in analytical chemistry.
  • The purple color of the solution is characteristic of permanganic acid.
  • The compound decomposes readily, illustrating the instability of permanganic acid.

Advanced Usage

• Chemical Context: The term is used almost exclusively in chemistry to refer to the parent acid of the permanganate ion (MnO₄⁻).
  • The reaction proceeds through the formation of permanganic acid as an intermediate.

Variants and Related Words

• Permanganate (n): A salt or ester of permanganic acid, containing the MnO₄⁻ anion.
  • Potassium permanganate is a common disinfectant.

Synonyms

• HMnO₄: The chemical formula for permanganic acid.

Related Phrases

• Permanganate ion: The anion (MnO₄⁻) derived from permanganic acid.
• Oxidizing acid: A descriptive term for acids like permanganic acid that readily accept electrons in redox reactions.

Noun

1. an unstable purple acid (HMnO4) known only in solution or of permanganate salts