User:ChemLlama/Info/Inorganic and organic compounds

Inorganic and organic compounds

There is something I would like to clarify.

Inorganic chemistry/compounds ≠ Organic chemistry/compounds

In fact, there's a big difference.

Organic compounds

Ethane, or C₂H₆, is an organic compound.

Organic chemistry is the study of organic compounds. Almost all carbon-containing compounds are organic compounds, but there are exceptions, which are listed below under inorganic compounds. A more specific definition would be that an organic compound almost always must have a carbon atom covalently bonded to another atom (most commonly oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen).

Amino acids, carbonhydrates, vitamins, proteins and fatty acids are other examples of organic compounds. Plastics and polymers are also counted as organic compounds, as they are derived from it.

Inorganic compounds

Model of tetrasulfur tetranitride, or S₄N₄, an inorganic compound.

Inorganic compounds tend to be of mineral, not biological origin. It can also be man-made (synthetic). Some carbon coumpounds, such as carbon monoxide, thiocyanides, cyanides and carbonates are also considered as inorganic compounds.

A lot of inorganic compounds are salts, with atoms binded by ionic bonding, and typically have high melting points.

There are many classified subdivisions of inorganic chemistry and compounds, including:

• Coordination chemistry
• Main group compounds
• Organometallic chemistry
• Transition metal compounds
• Cluster compounds
• Bioinorganic chemistry
• Solid-state chemistry