So we can make this distinction more specific. Source: some exceptions are also considered, for example, sodium benzoate is a compound that contains in its structure the benzene ring, therefore it is an organic compound, however, between the acetyl radical and sodium there is a strong electrostatic interaction C 6H 5COO -Na +, so it is said that its crystals are ionic. Representation of the type of bond in an inorganic and an organic compound. When we compare compounds such as salt and sugar we can have an example of this distinction, on the one hand salt crystals present ionic bonds, due to electrostatic interactions between ions, while sugar crystals contain covalent bonds, that is, by electron sharing. Differences between organic and inorganic compounds The predominant type of bond in organic compounds is covalent. That is why we are going to delve a little deeper into it. Therefore, although it is correct to say that organic compounds differ from inorganic compounds because they have carbon and hydrogen atoms, it is necessary to complement this main characteristic with some others that will make the differentiation clearer. So, actually the division that separates both areas of chemistry can sometimes be blurred, since many compounds are not always simple and do not always obey immutable rules, and in chemistry we can always find a large number of exceptions that contradict some postulate. We can recall, for example, how the synthesis of urea, a compound present in urine and therefore produced by living organisms, was synthesized in a laboratory by Friedrich Wöhler from potassium cyanate and ammonium sulfate. devoid of life.īut we must say that this idea is not enough either, since, as we know, nowadays we can synthesize a great number of organic molecules in the laboratory, by means of procedures that do not involve any organism. Source: we could say that organic compounds are related to living beings and their remains, and in fact, that is where the name "organic" comes from, while "inorganic" would be the opposite, i.e. Salt and sugar, although similar to the naked eye are very different chemically. If we look at living organisms, they are all composed of molecules made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms and other elements, such as oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus among others, such as proteins and carbohydrates, while inorganic compounds are mainly found forming minerals in the earth's crust, such as oxides, sulfates and carbonates. Another classic way to differentiate between organic and inorganic compounds is to refer to their origin. Source: the difference between both types of compounds does not end with the presence or not of carbon and hydrogen atoms in the molecule. ![]() Structures of carbonic (inorganic) and methanoic (organic) acids. And like it, carbides, carbonates and cyanides are compounds that contain carbon and hydrogen but are not organic. Consider for example CO 2, a compound that is carbon-based, but is considered an inorganic compound the reason is that it does not behave like a hydrocarbon, i.e., organic compounds are mainly molecules made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms.īut the fact of saying that all organic compounds are formed by carbon and hydrogen atoms is not enough either, since carbonic acid (H 2CO 3) contains carbon and hydrogen atoms, but it is not an organic compound either. ![]() Source: image edited with public domain images: plant, rock.Īlthough this difference may be basic, it is not always sufficient to clearly define when a compound is organic or inorganic. Sometimes the difference between them is clear and sometimes it is somewhat blurred. As we know chemistry is a science that is dedicated to the study of the composition of matter and the combinations that occur between this, in that aspect is a science that covers many fields, and while there are different types and specialties of chemistry depending on the object of study, such as analytical chemistry, electrochemistry, food chemistry, biochemistry, among others, traditionally this science is divided into two main areas, organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry, the first is based on the study of compounds consisting mainly of carbon atoms, while the second covers all compounds consisting of the rest of the elements of the periodic table, so the difference between them is related to the compounds they study.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |