Difference between organic compounds and inorganic compounds
Introduction
Compounds are chemical substances that are formed from the union of atoms of different elements. It is common to classify them into two large groups: organic compounds and inorganic compounds.
Organic compounds
Organic compounds are those that contain carbon in their molecular structure. These compounds are found in living beings and in some natural products such as oil and natural gas.
Characteristics of organic compounds
- They contain carbon in their molecular structure.
- They present covalent bonds between atoms.
- They are soluble in organic compounds such as alcohol and ether.
- They have lower melting and boiling points than inorganic compounds.
inorganic compounds
Inorganic compounds are those that do not contain carbon in their molecular structure. These compounds are found in the Earth's crust and in products such as mineral salts and inert gases.
Characteristics of inorganic compounds
- They do not contain carbon in their molecular structure.
- They present ionic or covalent bonds between atoms.
- They are soluble in water and other polar solvents.
- They have higher melting and boiling points than organic compounds.
Conclusions
In summary, the main difference between organic and inorganic compounds is the presence or absence of carbon atoms in their molecular structure. Organic compounds are soluble in organic compounds such as alcohol and ether, while inorganic compounds are soluble in water and other polar solvents. Furthermore, the melting and boiling points of inorganic compounds are higher than those of organic compounds.
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