Difference Between Organic and Inorganic Compounds: Definition, Characteristics & Examples

The study of organic compounds is known as organic chemistry. Whereas studying inorganic compounds is known as inorganic chemistry. A compound in chemistry is a substance formed by a chemical bond between the atoms of two or more different elements. Chemistry in compounds is broadly divided into two categories. One is known as an inorganic compound and the other is an organic compound. The smallest unit of a compound is recognized as a molecule. In the universe, all matter is composed of different atoms and different chemical elements which combine in their pure form to form a chemical compound.

Read Also: Cis-Trans Isomers

Key Terms: Compound, Organic Compound, Inorganic Compound, Solubility, Polar solvents , Boiling Point, Melting Point , Combustion , Living beings 

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History Of Compounds

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The science of organic chemistry is about 200 years old. It all started around the year 1780 when the distinction between organic compounds and inorganic compounds was started by the chemist. According to the chemists, organic compounds are obtained from plants and animals, and from the mineral resources, the inorganic compound was formed. 

A Swedish chemist named Berzelius proposed that for the formation of organic compounds a vital force was responsible. But this notion was rejected in 1828 when F. Wohler synthesized an organic compound, urea from an inorganic compound, ammonium cyanate. 

After that Kolbe in 1845 performed pioneering synthesizers of Acetic Acid and Berthelot in 1856 performed pioneering synthesizers of methane, resulting in showing that organic compounds could be synthesized from inorganic sources in a laboratory.

Read More: Versatile Nature of Carbon

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Organic Compound

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The compounds which have mainly one or more carbon atoms covalently bonded with other atom elements are known as organic compounds. Basically, organic compounds contain carbon as one of their constituents irrespective of the state in which it is present. Generally, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen atoms are bonded with these carbon atoms, two common organic compounds. In a normal room temperature, all three physical states of organic compounds can be found. Like amides in solid phases, alcohols like ethanol in liquid and gases like methane in gas phases.

 The organic compound is an end term output from the input activities of living beings like humans and animals. Almost all organisms contain organic compounds in their body so it is an essential part of the earth.

On the basis of its structure organic compounds can be broadly classified into two categories:

1. Acyclic or open chain compounds 
2. Alicyclic or closed chain or ring 

These are further categorized into more subcategories.

Fig: Classification of Organic Compounds on the basis of structure

Now, let us look at some of the organic compounds on the basis of structure.

• Acyclic Compounds: These compounds consist of straight or branched chain compounds. They are also known as aliphatic compounds.

Example: CH₃ CH₃ (Ethane), CH₃COOH (Acetic Acid), Isobutane.

• Alicyclic / Aliphatic Cyclic Compounds: In these compounds carbon atoms and joined in the form of a ring (homocyclic). But sometimes atoms in heterocyclic ring other than carbon might be present in the ring.

Example: 

        

• Aromatic Compounds: They consists of conjugated planner ring of atoms joined by covalent bonds of two different kind of atoms.

Example: Benzenoid Aromatic like benzene , aniline , napthelene 

(Benzene)

• Non Benzenoid Compound:

(Tropolone)

• Heterocyclic Aromatic Compounds: 

​

Pyridine​

Examples: Furan, Thiophene, Pyridine.

Also read: Organic Compounds

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Characteristics Of Organic Compounds

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• Solubility in polar solvents: Most of the organic compounds are insoluble in polar solvents like water. As the organic compounds are non-polar in nature, so they do not mix with polar molecules like water, acetone, methanol.
• Solubility in Non-Polar solvents: The organic compounds are non-polar in nature. So, they are soluble in non-polar solvents like benzene, toluene. 
• State Of Compound: Organic compounds can be present in any state like solid, liquid, or gas at room temperature.
• Low melting and boiling point: Organic compounds are held together by a covalent bond between the individual molecule. As the individual forces between the molecules are weak, thus, results in taking less energy to break the bond present between them. So, they easily melt and boil.
• Combustion: Burning any compound in the presence of oxygen results in the formation of carbon dioxide and water as the end product is called combustion. Organic compounds undergo combustion, like gasoline-burning in cars engine or natural gas like methane burning in heater or stove. they are mostly exothermic reactions (processes that emit out a lot of heat on burning).

Examples of combustion:

CH₄ + 2O₂→ CO₂ + 2H₂O + heat

2C₈H₁₈ +  25O₂→ 16 CO₂ + 18H₂O + heat

Read More: Relation Between Molarity and Molality

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Inorganic Compounds

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The compounds in which any chemical substance, usually other than carbon are combined nearly in definite proportions are called inorganic compounds. Moreover, they also include some carbon-containing compounds with a deficiency of carbon-carbon bonds. The inorganic compounds do not result from any life forms present on the earth or any living being activities. But they are obtained from the natural processes that are not conducted in any Laboratories. Also, they exist in solid states only. Inorganic compounds are composed of metal and metal ions like Silicon, phosphorus, sodium and many more.

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Characteristics Of Inorganic Compounds

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• Solubility in polar solvents: Most of the inorganic compounds are soluble in polar solvents like water. As the inorganic compounds are polar in nature so they combine with the polar solvents molecules to form the ionic bond with them.
• Solubility in Non-Polar solvents: The inorganic compounds are polar in nature. So, they are insoluble in non-polar solvents like benzene, toluene. 
• State Of Compound: Inorganic compounds are generally solid in state at room temperature. 

Like: Sodium chloride (NaCl , salt).

• Melting and boiling point: The inorganic compounds consist of alternating positive and negative charged ions. Thus, creating a very strong electrostatic force between the elements and exists as one molecule. So, to break an inorganic compound more energy is needed to break the bond between the ions so that they can move around easily. Thus, results in a very high melting and boiling point between the elements to break the electrostatic force present between them.
• Combustion: In general inorganic compounds do not undergo combustion, that is, burn in the presence of oxygen.

Read More: Versatile Nature of Carbon

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Difference between Organic and Inorganic Compounds 

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Difference between Organic and Inorganic Compounds

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Things to Remember

• Combustion is the process of burning any substance in the presence of oxygen.
• Some compounds contain carbon atoms bonded to other atoms and are still not considered as organic compounds are exceptions in chemistry.
• Our body is made up of organic compounds like carbohydrates, lipids, fats. 
• Covalent bond is weaker than an ionic bond.
• Polar Solvents have positive as well as negative charges present at a different locations in their structures.

Also Read:

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Previous Year Questions

1. Why is the heat evolved in neutralization of HF is highest… [UPSEE 2018]
2. The enthalpies of combustion of carbon and carbon monoxide are… [JCECE 2008]
3. The enthalpy of sublimation of aluminium is 330 KJ/mol… [BITSAT 2014]
4. If the enthalpy of vaporization of water is 186.5 KJ/mol… [BITSAT 2014]
5. 6g of graphite is burnt in a bomb calorimeter at… [AP EAPCET 2019]
6. The bond dissociation energies of X2, Y2 and XY are in the ratio… [NEET 2018]
7. For an ideal solution, the correct option is… [NEET 2019]
8. A 5% solution of cane sugar (MW = 342) isisotonic with 1% solution… [NEET 1998]
9. An ideal solution is formed when its components… [NEET 1988]
10. For determination of molar mass of colloids, polymers and protein… [NEET 2000]
11. A solution of acetone in ethanol… [NEET 2006]
12. Which of the following are not state functions? (I) q + W (II) q (III) w (IV) H-TS…. [NEET 2004]
13. Unit of entropy is… [NEET 2002]
14. Under isothermal condition, a gas at 300 K expands from 0.1 L to 0.25 L against a constant externalpressureof2bar Theworkdonebythe gas is… [NEET 2019]
15. The efficiency of an ideal heat engine working between the freezing point and boiling point of water, is…. [NEET 2018]
16. The efficiency of a fuel cell is given by… [NEET 2007]
17. The correct thermodynamic conditions for the spontaneous reaction at all temperatures is… [NEET 2016]
18. In which case change in entropy is negative? [NEET 2019]