Organic vs Inorganic Compounds: 18 Basic Differences

1.     Chemistry is incomplete without learning about compounds. A compound is the  combination of two or more different chemical elements that held together to form  unbreakable chemical bonds.  Two Categories of the Compounds:  Organic Compounds  Inorganic Compounds  ● ● Read through the following to get detailed knowledge about these compounds.  Let’s Explore Organic Compounds:  These are the chemical compounds that are formed by carbon-hydrogen bonding.  Organic compounds are extracted from living organisms like plants and animals. These  compounds make up only a small percentage of Earth’s crust, but they are of great  importance because every life is based on organic compounds. Some organic  compounds are synthetically derived from petrochemicals like hydrocarbons, which are  formed on their own from high pressure and temperature degradation of organic  matter.  Hydrocarbons, lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins are the four significant examples of  organic molecules that can form complex structures and long-chain elements. Although  organic compounds are nonpolar molecules, thus they do not dissolve well in the water  of the cell, but these do dissolve in other organic compounds in nature. Such four types  of organic molecules – when it comes in contact with living tissues tend to form new  compounds. 

2. Let’s Leverage Inorganic Compounds:  These are the chemical compounds that lack carbon-hydrogen bonds. However, there  are no clear definitions that have clearly defined this factor. Inorganic compounds are  mostly composed of the Earth’s crust.  Most of the simple chemical compounds that contain carbon are often considered as  inorganic. These compounds are contrastingly more colorful than organic compounds.  Another factor that distinguishes it is its presence in the crust in crystal form. These have  an adverse reaction on the human body if taken through the water supply.  Some of the examples are Carbon monoxide, Carbon dioxide, Carbides, Cyanides,  Cyanates, carbonates, and Thiocyanates. Nitrates, lead, copper, fluorides are also some of  the examples of Inorganic Compounds.  Organic Compounds vs. Inorganic Compounds  The chemical compounds are of two major categories: i) Organic Compounds, ii)  Inorganic Compounds. Even now, there is no specific description of what element falls  under which category.  There are a few very defining factors that explain the division of the elements under the  two different categories. The commonly seen factor is that organic compounds are those  who have carbon-hydrogen bonds, while other items that do have such bonding are  classified as inorganic compounds, while there as some exceptions in this defining  property. The significant characteristics which help to differentiate between organic and  inorganic compounds are as follows:  Basic Difference Between Organic & Inorganic Compounds     No  Organic Compounds  Inorganic Compounds  1  They are found in all forms like gases,  liquids or solids.  They are mostly found in solid  form.  2  It always contains carbon and forms  carbon-hydrogen bonds.  Some of them contain carbon  but most of them contain  metals and other elements. And  it does not form  carbon-hydrogen bonds.  

3. 3  They are obtained from living  organisms, i.e., animals and plants.  They are mostly extracted from  non-living substances, i.e.,  minerals.  4  Organic compounds are biological.   Inorganic Compounds are  mineral in nature.  5  They form covalent bonds.  They mostly form ionic bonds  but there are exceptional cases  of covalent bonding.  6  They are unable to make salts because  of their tendency to form covalent  bonds.   They make salts.   7  They are composed of few elements  only like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen,  nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus.  They are all composed of  well-known elements.   8  Some of the organic compounds are  highly complex and have high  molecular masses. Such complex  compounds are stable.  Inorganic compounds are less  complex. And are comparatively  less stable.  9  Organic compounds have low melting  as well as boiling points.  Inorganic compounds have  higher melting and boiling  points.   10  They are insoluble in water and are  soluble in organic solvents.    They are voluntarily soluble in  water and are insoluble in  organic solvents.  11  They are highly inflammable and  volatile.   They are not inflammable and  non – volatile.  

4. 12  These compounds are poor heat and  electricity conductors in aqueous  solution.   These compounds are good  conductors of heat and  electricity in aqueous solution.  13  They have a slower rate of reaction.  They have a higher rate of  reaction.  14  They produce a more complex set of  products during the reaction.  They produce a less complex set  of products during the reaction.  15  They perform the phenomenon of  isomerism.  Only the coordination  compounds show the  isomerism phenomenon.   16  These include nucleic acids, fats,  sugar, enzymes, proteins, and several  fuels.  These include salts, metals, and  single element made substance  and non-carbon and  hydrogen-bonded compounds.  17  They are classified into many classes  based on homologous series. Each  class is represented by a general  formula and the members show  similar properties.  They are classified into acids,  bases, and salts. There is no  homologous series in inorganic  compounds.   18  Methane, ethane, acetylene, alcohols,  carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), urea  [CO(NH2)2] are some examples of  organic compounds.   Carbon dioxide, sulphuric acid,  NaCl, diamond (pure carbon)  are some examples of inorganic  compounds.    Industrial Value of Inorganic Compounds  Many companies across the world are synthesizing inorganic compounds like  Ammonium Bisulphite, Sodium Sulphite, Sodium Bisulphite and Sodium Metabisulphite  on a large scale. Have a glance at a brief description of these inorganic compounds.     

5. Ammonium Bisulphite Solution  It is a clear yellow colored solution that is free from foreign particles. It is used in oil fields  and is used in manufacturing caramel food color.  Sodium Sulphite Powder  It is white colored clear crystalline powder which is mostly used in pharmaceutical  companies and oil field industries.  Sodium Bisulphite Solution  It is a very clear and yellow-colored solution which is free from foreign particles. It is used  as a de-chlorination agent in water treatment and is used as an oxygen scavenger in Oil  Field Industries.  Sodium Metabisulphite  It is a free-flowing crystalline powder used for water treatment, photographic, mining,  food, and medical industry.  Sodium Bisulphite Powder  It comes in the form of a white crystalline powder that is mostly used in chemical,  pharmaceutical and water treatment industries.    Moving Forward  Shanti Inorgochem​ is one such company that is professionally working and producing  inorganic compounds on an extremely large scale. It is a proficient company that  produces both powdered and liquefied forms of Sodium Bisulphite in India.