How can you identify organic molecules?

Question

Daniel Allen · Accepted Answer

A reasonable definition might be:

A molecule is organic if it contains carbon and hydrogen.

Scientists have not agreed on a single definition that covers all organic molecules.

But the above definition will probably cover the vast majority of the compounds you will encounter.

Some exceptions to the rule are compounds like #"H"_2"CO"_3# and #"HCN"#, which are usually considered to be inorganic molecules.

And the rule does lead to some inconsistencies.

For example, #"CH"_3"Cl"#, #"CH"_2"Cl"_2#, and #"CHCl"_3# are all organic, but #"CCl"_4# would be classed as inorganic, even though most scientists classify it as organic.

The important biological molecules such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids are all organic molecules.

Sebastian Alvarado · Answer

undefined In addition to containing other elements like oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus, organic molecules are typically identified by the presence of carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms. Analytical techniques like mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy are frequently used to identify and characterize organic molecules based on their structural and chemical properties.