Question

When a crystal of potassium permanganate is placed in a beaker, its purple colour spread throughout the water. What does this observation tell us about the nature of potassium permangmate and water

Answer 1

If a solid sample of Potassium permanganate is placed in water, the water molecules will interact with the Potassium cations and the permanganate anions held in the crystal to break the ionic bonds that hold the crystal together.  

This is a process of dissolving the crystal into solution. You will not be able to see the Potassium ions, but the permanganate ions are purple even in solution and you will see the water slowly darken (perhaps turning pink or violet first near the solid and finally taking on a uniform purple color).  

This second phase is the diffusion of the the ions into the solvent. This process will speed up if the solution is heated or stirred.  

Eventually one ends up with a homogeneous solution of Potassium permanganate in water

Answer 2

Answer:

When we place Potassium Permanganate crystals into the water, it's purple color spreads throughout the water. due to this property only the dissolution and spreading of the color of Potassium Permanganate takes place.