 We'll place some oxalic acid solution in the beaker. We'll add a little bit of sulfuric acid. We will then add some manganese 2 sulfate. The manganese 2 sulfate acts as a catalyst for the reaction. We will now add some potassium permanganate. We notice that the reaction is relatively rapid compared to the reaction between the oxalic acid and permanganate at room temperature. The catalyst speeds up the rate of the reaction.