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JEE Advanced 2025 Paper 1 · Chemistry · Redox Reactions and Titrations · hard

A 0.500 g sample contains only FeC2O4 (molar mass 143.86 g mol^-1, 60% by mass) and Fe2(C2O4)3 (molar mass 375.75 g mol^-1, 40% by mass). In acidic…

Numerical answer

A 0.500 g0.500\ \mathrm{g} sample contains only FeC2O4\mathrm{FeC_2O_4} (molar mass 143.86 g mol−1143.86\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}, 60%60\% by mass) and Fe2(C2O4)3\mathrm{Fe_2(C_2O_4)_3} (molar mass 375.75 g mol−1375.75\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}, 40%40\% by mass). In acidic medium the sample is titrated with 0.0200 M0.0200\ \mathrm{M} KMnO4\mathrm{KMnO_4} (reduced to Mn2+\mathrm{Mn^{2+}}), which oxidises both the oxalate ion and any Fe2+\mathrm{Fe^{2+}}. Find the volume of KMnO4\mathrm{KMnO_4} solution required, in mL\mathrm{mL}. Give the answer correct to two decimal places.
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Answer: 94.50

Use equivalents. For FeC2O4\mathrm{FeC_2O_4}, both Fe2+→Fe3+\mathrm{Fe^{2+}\to Fe^{3+}} (1e−1e^-) and C2O42−→2CO2\mathrm{C_2O_4^{2-}\to2CO_2} (2e−2e^-) are oxidised, so nn-factor =3=3. For Fe2(C2O4)3\mathrm{Fe_2(C_2O_4)_3}, iron is already Fe3+\mathrm{Fe^{3+}} and only the three oxalate ions react, nn-factor =3×2=6=3\times2=6. Moles: FeC2O4=0.300/143.86=2.0853×10−3\mathrm{FeC_2O_4}=0.300/143.86=2.0853\times10^{-3}; Fe2(C2O4)3=0.200/375.75=5.3226×10−4\mathrm{Fe_2(C_2O_4)_3}=0.200/375.75=5.3226\times10^{-4}. Equivalents =3(2.0853×10−3)+6(5.3226×10−4)=6.2559×10−3+3.1936×10−3=9.4495×10−3=3(2.0853\times10^{-3})+6(5.3226\times10^{-4})=6.2559\times10^{-3}+3.1936\times10^{-3}=9.4495\times10^{-3}. KMnO4\mathrm{KMnO_4} has nn-factor 55 so its normality is 0.100 N0.100\ \mathrm{N}. Volume =9.4495×10−3/0.100=0.094495 L=94.50 mL=9.4495\times10^{-3}/0.100=0.094495\ \mathrm{L}=94.50\ \mathrm{mL}. The two nn-factors differ because ferrous oxalate contributes iron as well as oxalate to the electron count, which is the key subtlety in this titration. If both compounds were wrongly given the same nn-factor of 33, the volume would come out near 78.53 mL78.53\ \mathrm{mL} instead.
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