Science is a wide term that is comprised of various branches. Chemistry is one of the science branches that includes matter or compounds’ composition and properties.
It includes the reaction of substances with one another. This branch is further divided into organic and inorganic chemistry.
Organic compounds are those that contain carbon, while inorganic compounds do not contain carbon as the constituent element.
Key Takeaways
- Organic chemistry studies carbon-containing compounds, while inorganic chemistry deals with the remaining elements.
- Organic chemistry is critical in pharmaceuticals, fuels, and plastics, while inorganic chemistry is essential in materials science, catalysis, and metal extraction.
- Inorganic compounds exhibit higher stability and can form ionic or covalent bonds, while organic compounds have covalent bonds and display various structures.
Organic vs Inorganic Chemistry
Organic chemistry studies carbon-based substances and their properties and reactions, and organic molecules have complex structures. Inorganic chemistry studies all other chemical compounds, such as metals, minerals, and gases, and inorganic substances are simpler and more common.
Organic Chemistry primarily studies compounds that contain hydrocarbon and carbon composition.
It includes the reaction, preparation, and structure of the elements that are originated from living organisms or living things.
Inorganic chemistry, on the other side, includes compounds that do not contain hydrocarbons, like iron, nickel, copper, etc.
Generally, the inorganic compounds are categorized into acids, bases, and salts. Table salt, also called Sodium chloride, is a major example of the inorganic chemistry.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Organic Chemistry | Inorganic Chemistry |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Compounds | Organic chemistry is the brand of chemistry that includes the organic compounds that are mainly consists of carbon atom | Inorganic chemistry is also a chemistry branch that comprised of inorganic compounds that do not contain carbon (exceptions are there) |
| Volatile | Compounds in organic chemistry are more volatile and also highly inflammable | Compounds in inorganic chemistry are comparatively non-volatile and not inflammable |
| Existence | It contain compounds that are mainly exists in three major forms, gases, liquids, and solids | Compounds under this branch exist in solid state |
| Soluble | Organic compounds are insoluble in water but they are soluble in organic solvents | Inorganic compounds are water soluble |
| Origin | Organic chemistry is comprised of the compounds that are present in the living organisms or living things | Compounds in inorganic chemistry are present and associated with non-living things |
| Bond | The compounds are linked with each other through covalent bond | Ionic bond is formed between the atoms of the molecules |
| Conductors | In organic chemistry, compounds are poor conductor of heat and electricity | Inorganic chemistry include the substances that are considered as good conductors of heat and electricity |
What is Organic Chemistry?
Organic chemistry is the study of organic compounds that contain carbon. Hydrocarbon is considered the simplest carbon bond, also called alkanes and saturated hydrocarbons.
Carbon can form covalent bonds, and due to this property, it combines with other elements, consequently forming carbon-based structures.
Various physical and chemical properties are associated with the composition of the organic compounds. They are present in living organisms and can also be prepared in the laboratory.
These compounds are mainly comprised of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen and have a complex structure that consequently results in high molecular weight.
Although these substances are soluble in organic solvents, but insoluble in water.
The acids and bases of organic chemistry have limited dissociation and are hence not very strong, but they are volatile.
Organic compounds play a significant role because nearly all living organisms are comprised of carbon or contain carbon. Fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are some major structures of organic compounds.
If combined with metals, the organic compounds form organometallic compounds used for industrial purposes as catalysts, promoters, and stabilizers.
What is Inorganic Chemistry?
Inorganic chemistry deals with inorganic compounds that do not contain carbon as the major constituting element.
This branch of chemistry plays an important role in the industry aspects as it comprises the substances or compounds specifically used in material science and fuels and serves other purposes as well.
Inorganic chemistry categorized the compounds into acids, bases, and salts. These are majorly ionic compounds with high melting points and crystalline structures.
Organic chemistry is comprised of coordination compounds, main group compounds, cluster compounds, coordination compounds, bioinorganic compounds, and transition metal compounds.
Each of these compounds possesses a specific composition and relevant physical and chemical properties.
Main Differences Between Organic and Inorganic Chemistry
- Organic and Inorganic chemistry are the branches of chemistry that deal with different compounds and substances. Organic chemistry is the brand of chemistry that includes organic compounds that mainly consist of carbon atoms. On the contrary, Inorganic chemistry is also a chemistry branch that is comprised of inorganic compounds that do not contain carbon. Although, exceptions are there.
- Compounds in organic chemistry are more volatile and also highly inflammable. But inorganic compounds are comparatively non-volatile and not inflammable.
- Solubility is an important factor in various reactions. Organic compounds are insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents. On the contrary, compounds in organic chemistry are water-soluble.
- Organic chemistry is comprised of the compounds that are present in living organisms or living things. While on the other side, Compounds in inorganic chemistry are present and associated with non-living things.
- The type of bond between the atoms in the molecule plays an important role in defining the chemical and physical properties of the substance. In organic chemistry, compounds are linked with each other through covalent bonds and are poor conductors of heat and electricity. On the contrary, compounds in inorganic chemistry share an ionic bond and are good heat and electricity conductors.
- https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/1978/cs/cs9780700359
- https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2005/cc/b415425h
Last Updated : 26 June, 2023
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
This is really interesting to see how these concepts are applied to the real world! The applications of these compounds are really quite impressive.
I think that it’s very intriguing and quite impressive to see how such simple molecular compounds can have such a wide array of applications!
I agree, Kelly. It’s really quite interesting to see how these concepts can be applied to so many different applications and how varied the compounds can be.
It’s really interesting to see how broad the applications of these compounds are, and it’s really quite surprising just how different these compounds can be!
Organic and inorganic compounds are interesting because of the variety of elements and substances that they cover. It is fascinating to know that carbon has such a different impact on the compounds that it’s part of.
Absolutely, Phillips! It’s really interesting to know all the different applications that these compounds have and how the work on a molecular level can be applied to many different facets of our lives!
It is quite surprising that organic and inorganic chemistry are so different. I never realized how different the compounds can be and the variance between their properties.
It’s really impressive to see how these compounds can be applied to so many different things! I never realized the wide range of compounds that chemistry covers, really quite impressive!