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Inorganic Chemistry

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What is Inorganic Chemistry?

The term organic refers to the compounds that contain carbon atoms in them. Thus, the branch of chemistry deals with the study of compounds, which do not contain carbon-hydrogen atoms in it, is known as 'Inorganic Chemistry.' To explain simply, it is quite the opposite of that of Organic Chemistry. The substances that do not have carbon-hydrogen bonding are called salts, metals, or chemical substances, and more.


About the Basic Inorganic Chemistry

On this whole planet, there are known to exist about 1 Lakh of Inorganic compounds. Moreover, inorganic chemistry studies these compounds' behaviour, including their properties, their physical properties, and chemical characteristics. The periodic table elements, except for hydrogen and carbon, come in the Inorganic compounds list.

Technologically, most of the elements are essential. For example, iron, titanium, copper, and nickel, can be used electrically and structurally. Secondly, the transition metals form many useful alloys, with each other, including other metallic elements.


Chemistry Definition

Chemistry is the study of the substances where the matter is composed. Chemistry is experimentally heavy because we can study only reductions if we totally mix the substances. Fortunately, we do not need to risk our safety and health to understand the topic, chemistry better because the brave scientists already did. There exist over 100 elements that make up the matter of our universe and world. They together combine to make thousands and thousands of compounds.

A chemical compound is formed with atoms of various elements joined together with a chemical bond. These bonds are so strong, where the compound acts as a single substance. The molecules and joined atoms form molecules that connect to make the compound.


Organometallic Chemistry

Organometallic Chemistry is described as an interdisciplinary science of the Inorganic Chemistry part, which has grown at a phenomenal pace through the last 3 to 4 decades. Efforts to elucidate the nature of bonds on the academic plane in the ever-increasing exciting organometallic compound list have led to a brief understanding of the variety of chemical bonds and their nature.

Primarily, the organometallic compounds can be used as homogeneous catalysis agents in industries.


Transition Elements

The transition element can be defined as one that possesses the partially filled d-orbitals in its penultimate shell. Furthermore, this conceptual definition can be useful as it enables us to recognize a transition element slightly by looking at its electronic configuration. Also, this definition excludes cadmium, mercury, and zinc from the transition elements because they do not have a partially filled d-orbital. But, they are also considered as the transition elements since their properties are an extension of the transition elements properties in inorganic chemistry. The zinc group, in fact, serves as a bridge between the transition and its representative elements.

The most notable characteristics that are shared by the 24 elements, concerned that they all are metals, and most of them are hard, lustrous, solid, and have high melting and boiling points. They are also good conductors of electricity and heat. These properties range is considerable; thus, the statements are equivalent to all the other elements' general properties.


Coordination Chemistry

Coordination compounds found their applications much long before establishing the inorganic chemistry. A systematic investigation of bonding and structure in coordination chemistry began with the inquisitiveness of Tassaert, extended by distinguished chemists Jorgensen, Alfred Werner, and Wilhelm Blomstrand, until the 19th-century end. But, in the events, Werner's coordination theory became the base of modern coordination chemistry.


P-Block Elements

The elements that are placed in group-13 to group-18 of the periodic table compose the p-block. The inorganic chemistry p block elements properties like that of other block elements are greatly influenced by their ionization enthalpy, atomic size, electronegativity, and electron gain enthalpy. The d–orbital absence in the 2nd period and presence of either d- or f-orbitals in heavier elements has a significant effect on the elements' properties. Thus, heavier p-block elements vary from their lighter congeners.


Classification of Inorganic Compounds

The organic compounds classified under Inorganic chemistry are listed below.

  • Acids: Acids are compounds that dissolve in water and generate hydrogen or H+ Ions. Examples of acids are citric acid, Hydrochloric acid, vinegar, sulphuric acid, and more. An example of the acidic reaction is given below.

Hydrochloric acid + water → H+ + Cl

  • Bases: A base is a kind of a compound or substance that produces hydroxyl ions when they are kept in water. The bases such as calcium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, ammonia produce OH- ions when dissolved in water.

Potassium Hydroxide + H2O → K+ + OH-

  • Salts: As we are familiar with the term 'Salt,' the substances obtained as a reaction result between an acid and a base. One of the typical examples of salts is the table salt of sodium hydroxide.

  • Oxides: The compounds that contain 1 oxygen atom are called Oxides.

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FAQs on Inorganic Chemistry

1. List the applications of Inorganic Chemistry?

Inorganic chemistry has many applications in various fields such as chemical, Biology, Engineering, and a lot more.

  • It is applied in the medical field, including healthcare facilities.

  • Various inorganic compounds can be utilized in the ceramic industries.

  • Usage of compound Sodium hydroxide or common salt in our daily lives is the most common application.

  • Baking soda can be used in the preparation of cakes and other food materials.

2. What is the scope of inorganic chemistry?

Inorganic chemistry is given as the study of organometallic or inorganic compound synthesis, behavior, and structure. It is also used in almost every chemical industry sector, including materials science, catalysis, pigments & paints, coatings, surfactants, fuels, medicines, and plastics.

3. What are the physical properties of matter?

Physical properties are measured or observed without altering the matter's composition. These properties can be used for the description and observation of matter. The physical properties include texture, shape, color, melting and boiling points, smell, density, polarity, solubility, and more others.

4. Why is inorganic chemistry important?

Coatings, catalysts, surfactants, fuels, superconductors, and including drugs are researched and developed with the help of inorganic chemistry. Also, in inorganic chemistry, important chemical reactions are acid-base reactions, double displacement reactions, and redox reactions.