Question: what happens initially when alkaline potassium permanganate is added to warm ethanol?
Answer: When a solution of ethyl alcohol and alkaline KMnO4is heated the pink colour of the solution disappears. Since, KMnO4 is a strong oxidising agent it oxidises ethanol to ethanoic acid by donating nascent oxygen. If excess of KMnO4 is added the the purple color will persist.