Organic and inorganic substances are two of the most basic concepts in chemistry, and their difference lies mainly in their molecular structure and chemical properties.

1. molecular structure

Organic substances are molecules composed of the elements carbon (C) and hydrogen (H), and sometimes also contain elements such as oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), etc., and their chemical formulas are usually CxHy. Inorganic substances, on the other hand, are all compounds other than organics, whose molecules may contain metallic elements, non-metallic elements, or compounds of metals and non-metallic elements. metal elements in their molecules, and have a greater variety of elements than organics.

2. Chemical Properties

The chemical properties of organic compounds are more complex than those of inorganic compounds, the most important of which is the bonding energy of organic compounds, which is determined by the *** valence bonding energy between two neighboring carbon atoms. This bonding energy allows organic substances to form many compounds with diverse structures, and there are great differences in chemical properties between different organic substances. For example, alcohols and ethers have the same molecular weight and chemical formula, but their addition and migration reactions are very different.

Inorganic substances, on the other hand, include many substances, such as water, oxygen, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, etc., whose chemical properties are mostly determined by factors such as the different properties of the chemical bonds, the electronic configuration, and the energy level structure. For example, the reaction between sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid is caused by a strong acid-base reaction, which is very different from any reaction between organic substances.

3. Natural Distribution

In nature, organic matter is found mainly in living organisms, including plants, animals, and microorganisms. Inorganic matter, on the other hand, is widely found in substances in nature, such as water, air, minerals, soil, and so on.

Overall, organic and inorganic substances are very different in terms of molecular structure and chemical properties, but both are indispensable concepts in the subject of chemistry, and are of great significance to human life and industrial production.