Understand the Difference Between Organic and Inorganic

Understand the Difference Between Organic and Inorganic The word organic means something very different in chemistry than it does when youre talking about produce and food. Organic compounds and inorganic compounds form the basis of  chemistry.  The primary difference between organic compounds and inorganic compounds is that organic compounds always contain carbon while most inorganic compounds do not contain carbon. Also, nearly all organic compounds contain carbon-hydrogen or C-H bonds. Note, containing carbon is not sufficient for a compound to be considered organic! Look for both carbon and hydrogen. Did You Know? Organic and inorganic chemistry are two of the main disciplines of chemistry. An organic chemist studies organic molecules and reactions, while an inorganic chemistry focuses on inorganic reactions. Examples of Organic Compounds or Molecules Molecules associated with living organisms are organic. These include nucleic acids, fats, sugars, proteins, enzymes, and hydrocarbon fuels. All organic molecules contain carbon, nearly all contain hydrogen, and many also contain oxygen. DNAtable sugar or sucrose, C12H22O11benzene, C6H6methane, CH4ethanol or grain alcohol, C2H6O Examples of Inorganic Compounds Inorganics include salts, metals, substances made from single elements and any other compounds that dont contain carbon bonded to hydrogen. Some inorganic molecules do, in fact, contain carbon. table salt or sodium chloride, NaClcarbon dioxide, CO2diamond (pure carbon)silversulfur Organic Compounds Without  C-H Bonds Few organic compounds dont contain carbons of these exceptions include: carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)urea [CO(NH2)2] Organic Compounds and Life While most organic compounds encountered in chemistry are produced by living organisms, its possible for the molecules to form through other processes. For example, when scientists talk about organic molecules discovered on Pluto, this doesnt mean there are aliens on the world. Solar radiation can provide energy to produce organic compounds from inorganic carbon compounds.