Heating potassium chlorate is classified as a disproportionation reaction
the verdict
REFUTED
the evidence says no
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
0 sources for · 1 against
AS REPORTEDno primary record reached; this is what the reporting says
Chemical literature explicitly refutes the classification of potassium chlorate heating as a disproportionation reaction, noting it is simply a redox reaction where chlorine decreases and oxygen increases in oxidation state.
# Will heating of KClO3 be considered disproportionation?
- Tags: inorganic-chemistry, redox
- Score: 8
- Views: 4,277
- Answers: 1
- Asked by: himanshu (193 rep)
- Asked on: May 14, 2019
- Last active: May 14, 2019
- License: CC BY-SA 4.0
---
## Question
In all examples of disproportionation I have seen, there is one particular atom whose oxidation state is both increasing and decreasing to give rise to different products
For example, on heating phosphorous acid
$$\\ce{4 H3PO3 -> 3 H3PO4 + PH3}$$
the oxidation state of phosphorous changes from +3 to +5 and -3.
However, in the case of heating $\\ce{KClO3}$
$$\\ce{2 KClO3 -> 2 KCl + 3 O2}$$
the oxidation state of oxygen changes from -2 to 0, while that of chlorine changes from +5 to -1. So, will such a reaction be called a disproportionation since its the same molecule giving rise to two products, or will it be simply a redox reaction?
---
## Accepted Answer — Score: 16
- By: andselisk (38,821 rep)
- Answered on: May 14, 2019
Thermal decomposition of potassium chlorate is _not_ disproportionation, just a redox reaction. [Disproportionation](https://goldbook.iupac.org/html/D/D01799.html) refers to the _same element_ act