Formation of Carbon from Carbohydrate - With Permanganate Still Images Concentrated sulfuric acid is added to table sugar, sucrose, which had previously been mixed with water. The sulfuric acid dehydrates the sugar, a carbohydrate. The sugar turns brown due to the removal of water in this caramelization process. The remaining black solid contains mostly carbon. Steam generated in this exothermic process causes the solid mass to expand. Sulfuric acid also acts as an oxidizing agent, and is reduced to sulfur dioxide. The sulfur dioxide reduces dissolved purple permanganate to nearly colorless manganese(II). You can get at large JPEG versions of the images by means of the following links. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Back to the topic
Concentrated sulfuric acid is added to table sugar, sucrose, which had previously been mixed with water. The sulfuric acid dehydrates the sugar, a carbohydrate. The sugar turns brown due to the removal of water in this caramelization process. The remaining black solid contains mostly carbon. Steam generated in this exothermic process causes the solid mass to expand.
Sulfuric acid also acts as an oxidizing agent, and is reduced to sulfur dioxide. The sulfur dioxide reduces dissolved purple permanganate to nearly colorless manganese(II).
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© 1999 Division of Chemical Education, Inc., American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.
