Inorganic compound

Inorganic compound refers to any chemical compound that is not an organic compound. There is no clear or universally agreed-upon distinction between organic and inorganic compounds, but common definitions focus on the presence or absence of carbon or certain kinds of carbon bonds.

Definition

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.

Properties

Inorganic compounds can be defined as any compound that is not organic compound. Some simple compounds which contain carbon are usually considered inorganic. These include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonates, cyanides, cyanates, carbides, and thiocyanates. Many of these are normal parts of mostly organic systems, including organisms, which means that describing a chemical as inorganic does not obligately mean that it does not occur within living things.

Classification

Inorganic compounds can be classified based on their acid-base behavior as acid, base, salt, or oxide. They can also be classified according to the elements they contain. For example, metal compounds (such as ferrous sulfate) and nonmetal compounds (such as silicon dioxide).

Examples

Examples of inorganic compounds include sodium chloride (NaCl), asbestos, carbon dioxide (CO2), and diamond. Inorganic compounds are often quite simple, as they do not form the complex molecular structures that carbon makes possible.

See also

• Organic compound
• Bioinorganic chemistry
• Coordination compound
• Organometallic chemistry