The document discusses the differences between organic and inorganic compounds. Organic compounds contain carbon and hydrogen bonds, while inorganic compounds do not. Some key differences are that organic materials come from living things, form more complex structures, and contain carbon-hydrogen bonds, whereas inorganic materials are mineral-based and may contain metals. While the distinction is not absolute, in general organic substances are biological in nature and contain carbon, whereas inorganic substances are mineral-based and do not necessarily contain carbon.

1. N.ChandraSekhar Varma
Roll No:133819
II B.Sc[MCCS]
KBN College(Autonomous).
KEYWORDS:
Organic Substances Inorganic Substances
Paper Salt
Pearls Iron
Vitamins Cinnabar
Milk Water
ASA HCl
Butter Sapphire
Coal CO2
Bees Wax Candle Quartz
Urea (natural) Diamond
Urea (synthetic)
Turpentine
Organic and Inorganic
Materials

2. INTRODUCTION:
All materials are categorized as either organic or inorganic. Organic materials
are made from (or extracted from) plants or animals. Inorganic materials are
made from rocks and minerals.
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS:
An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid
chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon.
Ex: proteins, hormones like estrogen, cellular components like T-cell
receptors, various alcohols and sugar alcohols, and many more.
INORGANIC COMPOUNDS:
An inorganic compound is a compound that is not considered "organic".
Inorganic compounds are traditionally viewed as being synthesized by the
agency of geological systems. In contrast, organic compounds are found
in biological systems. Organic chemists traditionally refer to
any molecule containing carbon as an organic compound and by default this
means that inorganic chemistry deals with molecules lacking carbon.
Ex: carbon monoxide, carbondioxide, carbonates, cyanides, cyanates, carbides,
and thiocyanates.
ORGANIC MATERIALS:
Organicmaterials include wood, paper, textiles, and animal parts (ivory, bone,
leather). They also include some natural materials that are not obviously
organic (such as coal and fuel oil, which are derived from fossilized plants and
animals) and some synthetic materials (such as plastics, which are made from
chemicals extracted from plant and animal products). All organic materials
deteriorate over time.
INORGANIC MATERIALS:
Inorganicmaterials include stone, metal, ceramic, and glass, which are all
made from rocks or minerals. Some inorganic materials are found in paper-

3. based formats: photographs contain metallic particles; some pigments and inks
contain minerals, metals, or metallic oxides; and metal particles are sometimes
found in paper itself. Inorganic materials are generally stable individually, but
they can react with other materials to cause deterioration. Some metals
(particularly iron, copper, and platinum) react with the cellulose in paper. Like
organic materials, inorganic materials can be natural or synthetic (e.g., some
pigments occurnaturally as minerals but can also be manufactured from other
inorganic materials).
Organic vs Inorganic Compounds:
The most common differentiation to help distinguish between organic and
inorganic compounds used to be the fact that organic compounds result from the
activity of living beings, whereas inorganic compounds are either the result of
natural processesunrelated to any life form or the result of human experimentation
in the laboratory.
But this definition is not strictly true because these days organic compounds canbe
artificially created by human beings, and moreover organic compounds have been
found in outer space where there are no living beings. A more acceptable
difference pertains to the salt making property of inorganic compounds which is
absent in organic compound. But this definition too is not sacrosanctas both these
compounds are sometimes known to buckthe trend when it comes to the presence
or absence of this property.
Some might hold that organic compounds have carbon while inorganic do not. This
too is not strictly one hundred per cent correct. A more tenable explanation is that
organic compounds have carbon-hydrogen bonds, while inorganic do not. This is
largely true and therefore is a real distinguishing characteristic.
Yet another difference is the fact that inorganic compounds contain metal atoms,
whereas organic compounds do not. This too is not one hundred percent true.

4. Maybe one could just take the word of organic and inorganic chemist on what
constitutes an organic or inorganic compound. Organic compounds are biological
and inorganic are mineral in nature.
Another way of bringing out the difference is to point out that organic compounds
are part of a class of chemical compounds,the molecules of which contain carbon
and hydrogen. By this logic carbide, carbonates, carbon oxides, and elementary
carbondo not qualify to be organic compounds. Inorganic compound comemainly
from mineral sources of non biological origin. The modern view of inorganic
compounds believes that inorganic compounds mostly comprise of metal
containing compounds even if they happen to exist in living organisms.
Thus we see that what constitutes organic or inorganic compounds has changed
over a period of time, and there happen to be no water tight compartments which
will differentiate the two. However one can always differentiate between organic
compounds and inorganic compounds.
Generalized properties of Organic and Inorganic Compounds:
The primary difference between organic compounds and inorganic compounds is
that organic compounds always contain carbon while most inorganic compounds
do not contain carbon. Also, almost all organic compounds contain carbon-
hydrogen or C-H bonds.
Organic Compounds Inorganic Compounds
Many are gases, liquids or solids Most are solids
Usually always contain carbon, especially
carbon-hydrogen bonds
May contain carbon. Contain metal and other
elements. Does not contain carbon-hydrogen
bonds.
Generally found in living matter, i.e., animals
and plants.
Generally obtained from non-living matter, i.e.,
minerals.
Biological in nature Mineral in nature

5. Some compounds are highly complex and have
high molecular masses. These complex
compounds are stable.
Inorganic compounds are less complex.
Comparatively a complex compound is
generally less stable.
Form covalent bonds Most form ionic bond, some covalent bonds are
present
Composed of few elements only, commonly
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and
phosphorus
Composed of all the known elements
Unable to make salts due to the covalence of
carbon
Make salts
Lower melting and boiling points Higher melting and boiling points
Insoluble in water, soluble in organic solvents Readily soluble in water, insoluble in organic
solvents
Highly inflammable and volatile Not inflammable and non – volatile
Poorer conductors of heat and electricity in
aqueous solutions
Better conductors of heat and electricity in
aqueous solutions
Slower reaction rate Higher reaction rate
Produces more complex set of products during
reaction
Produces less complex set of products during
reaction
Exhibit the phenomenon of isomerism Only the co-ordination compounds show the
phenomenon of isomerism
Classified into many classes on the basis of
functional groups, known as homologous series.
Each class is represented by a general formula
and the members show similar properties.
Classified as acids, bases and salts. No
homologous series found
Include nucleic acids, fats, sugars, proteins,
enzymes and many fuels.
Include salts, metals, substances made from
single elements and any other compounds that
don't contain carbon bonded to hydrogen.
Examples: methane, ethane, acetylene, alcohols,
carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), urea [CO(NH2)2]
Examples: carbon dioxide, sulphuric acid, NaCl,
diamond (pure carbon)
CONCLUSION:
1. Organic compounds are the result of activities of living beings while inorganic
compounds are created either due to natural processes unrelated to any life form

6. or the result of human experimentation in the laboratory.
2. Inorganic compounds canmake salt, while organic cannot.
3. Organic compounds contain carbon, while inorganic do not.
4. Organic compounds have carbon-hydrogen bonds, while inorganic do not.
5. Inorganic compounds contain metal atoms, whereas organic compounds do not.
6. Organic compounds are biological and inorganic are mineral in nature.
7. Organic compounds are part of a class of chemical compounds the molecules of
which contain carbon and hydrogen, while inorganic compounds mostly
comprise of metal containing compounds even if they happen to exist in living
organisms.