Question

Name a reducing agent that may be used to obtain manganese from manganese dioxide.

Answer 1

The reducing agent that can be used to obtain manganese from manganese dioxide is Aluminium powder.

This powder is used during manufacturing process of "manganese metal". The chemical reaction between manganese dioxide and aluminium powder is given below:

$3MnO_2 (s) + 4Al (s) = 3Mn (l) + 2Al_2O_3 + Heat$

The elemental aluminium with zero oxidation state reacts with manganese dioxide with +2 oxidation state to reduce the oxidation state of manganese to zero while the aluminium gets oxidised to +3 state. Thus, in this reaction the aluminium acts as a reducing agent.

Answer 2

Answer:

The reducing agent that can be used to obtain manganese from manganese dioxide is Aluminium powder.