challenge

[Nipun Gupta]

can u tell if a compound is organic or inorganic by just knowing the molecular formula:confused: :confused:

[woelen]

Well, that gives a very good indication. If no carbon is in it, then it is inorganic. If there is carbon in it, then chances are good that it is organic, but not all carbon-compounds are organic (e.g. Na2CO3, CO2).

 

The borderline between organic and inorganic is somewhat fuzzy. Na2CO3 is considered inorganic. NaCN also is considered inorganic, but some people think of it as an organic compound. Na2C2O4 (sodium oxalate) usually is considered organic, but there still are some people, who regard this as inorganic.

 

Anyway, if you see a formula with a large number of C-atoms, H-atoms and some other atoms, then you are almost 100% sure that it is an organic compound.

 

Because of the fuzzy border, the distinction organic/inorganic is abandoned more and more. We simply speak of carbon chemistry, just as we can speak of sulphur chemistry, chlorine chemistry, etc. The term 'organic' stems from the period that people believed that certain compounds only could be made by living organisms, but soon a synthetic pathway was discovered for making thiourea from inorganic compounds only.

 

Na2CO3, C, N2 ---strong heating--> NaCN + crap

NaCN, S ---heating--> NaSCN

NaSCN + NH4Cl ---> NaCl + NH4SCN

NH4SCN --->heating---> H2NC(S)NH2

 

An organic compound, made from inorganic materials only.

[ecoli]

what about certain halogen compounds where the carbons have been completely replaced. Is that no longer classified as organic? I thought it was.

[jdurg]

what about certain halogen compounds where the carbons have been completely replaced. Is that no longer classified as organic? I thought it was.

 

I'd like to see an example of this because a halogen cannot form nearly as many bonds as a carbon atom can, so I'd highly doubt it could replace carbon.