Question

1. Explain the difference between inorganic and organic molecules.

2. Define:

   a.   salt
   b.   electrolyte
   c.   anion
   d.   cation
   e.   acid
   f.   base
   g.   pH
   h.   buffer

Answer 1

Ans 1: Organic compounds always contain carbon while inorganic compounds contain metal and other elements. Carbon-Hydrogen bonds are the characteristic of organic compounds while these are not found in inorganic compounds. Inorganic compounds contain metal atoms while they are never found in organic compounds.

2: a) Salt: A salt consists of the positive ion (cation) of a base and the negative ion (anion) of an acid. The reaction between an acid and a base is called a neutralization reaction. The term salt is also used to refer specifically to common table salt, or sodium chloride.

b)Electrolyte: An electrolyte is a substance that produces an electrically conducting solution when dissolved in a polar solvent, such as water. The dissolved electrolyte separates into cations and anions, which disperse uniformly through the solvent. Electrically, such a solution is neutral.

c)Anion: Anions are atoms or radicals (groups of atoms), that have gained electrons. Since they now have more electrons than protons, anions have a negative charge. For example, chloride ions Cl- , bromide Br- , iodide I-.

d)Cation: A positively charged ion, i.e. one that would be attracted to the cathode in electrolysis.

e)Acid: An acid is a molecule or ion capable of donating a proton, or, alternatively, capable of forming a covalent bond with an electron pair. The first category of acids are the proton donors, or Brønsted–Lowry acids.

f)Base: Bases are substances that, in aqueous solution, release hydroxide (OH−) ions, are slippery to the touch, can taste bitter if an alkali, change the color of indicators (e.g., turn red litmus paper blue), react with acids to form salts, promote certain chemical reactions (base catalysis), accept protons from any proton donor or contain completely or partially displaceable OH− ions.

g)pH: pH is a scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Lower pH values correspond to solutions which are more acidic in nature, while higher values correspond to solutions which are more basic or alkaline. At room temperature, pure water is neutral and therefore has a pH of 7.

h)BufferBuffer: A buffer solution (more precisely, pH buffer or hydrogen ion buffer) is an aqueous solution consisting of a mixture of a weak acid and its conjugate base, or vice versa. Buffer solutions are used as a means of keeping pH at a nearly constant value in a wide variety of chemical applications.