whats the difference between inorganic chem and organic chem? im really confuse because mrs. white told us inoraganic is about ionic bonds while organic is about covalent bond. what is the difference between the twooo? please help me

Answer 1

well basically inorganic is the study of the synthesis and behavior of inorganic and organometallic compounds. This field covers all chemical compounds except the myriad organic compounds (carbon based compounds, usually containing C-H bonds), which are the subjects of organic chemistry.

Answer 2

I agree with the answer by "name" but I will go a little further. In general organic chemistry is the study of carbon compounds and inorganic chemistry is the study of all of the other compounds. As for the difference between covalent and ionic bonds, ionic bonds are formed between atoms by the transfer of electrons. That is, when a sodium atom. which contains one electron in its outside shell, reacts with a chlorine atom, which contains seven electrons in its outside shell, the one electron from Na moves to the Cl atom. The outside shell of Na now has 8 electrons (it was 2,8,1 and now its 2,8) and the chlorine atom now has 8 electrons in its outside shell (it was 2,8,7 and now is 2,8,8). The Na atom has become a Na 1+ ion and the Cl atom has become a 1- ion and that is the ionic bond that holds the NaCl molecule (table salt) together. In a covalent bond (an example is H2 gas), the electron in each H atom is shared and not transferred. In that manner, the two H atoms share the one electron each has so that each H atom has a full shell of 2. The same kind of bond holds Cl to Cl, F to F, Br to Br, etc.