The balanced chemical equation for the oxidation of ethylene C2H4 with potassium permanganate KMnO4 in an acidic medium is:3 C2H4 + 2 KMnO4 + 4 H2SO4 2 K2SO4 + 2 MnSO4 + 6 CH3COOHIn this reaction, ethylene C2H4 is oxidized to acetic acid CH3COOH by potassium permanganate KMnO4 in the presence of sulfuric acid H2SO4 . The potassium permanganate is reduced to manganese sulfate MnSO4 , and potassium sulfate K2SO4 is also formed.The oxidation states of the carbon atoms in ethylene C2H4 are -2 for each carbon atom. In acetic acid CH3COOH , the oxidation state of the carbon atom in the CH3 group is -3, while the oxidation state of the carbon atom in the COOH group is +3.