Depending on the conditions in which the titration is performed, the manganese is reduced from an oxidation of +7 to +2, +4, or +6.
In most cases, permanganometry is performed in a very acidic solution in which the following electrochemical reaction occurs:
: + 8 H + 5 e →  Mn + 4 HO;  E° = +1.51 V
which shows that KMnO (in an acidic medium) is a very strong oxidizing agent, able to oxidize Fe (E°/Fe (E°/Sn (E°/Cl</sub> = +1.36 V).
In weak acidic medium  can not accept 5 electrons to form Mn. Instead, it accepts only 3 electrons and forms solid MnO by the following reaction:
: + 4 H + 3 e → MnO + 2 HO; E° = +1.69 V
In a strongly basic solution, with the concentration c >1 mol dm, only one electron is accepted to produce manganate:
: + e → ; E° = +0.56 V