Ethanol gets oxidised by alkaline potassium permanganate to form ethanoic acid. Potassium permanganate is an oxidizing agent which is the source of oxygen. Addition of oxygen is oxidation.
`CH_(2)-CH_(2)-OH-underset("alkaline "KMnO_(4))overset((O))to underset(("ethanoic acid"))toCH_(3)-overset(O)overset(||)(C)-OH`
