INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Inorganic Chemistry, study of the structure, properties, and reactions of the chemical elements and their compounds. Inorganic chemistry does not include the investigation of hydrocarbons—compounds composed of carbon and hydrogen that are the parent material of all other organic compounds. The study of organic compounds is called organic chemistry.

INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Inorganic chemists have made significant advances in understanding the minute particles that compose our world. These particles, called atoms, make up the elements, which are the building blocks of all the compounds and substances in the world around us. Just as the entire English language is constructed from combinations of the 26 letters in the alphabet, all chemical substances are made from combinations of the 112 chemical elements found on the periodic table.

INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Ninety elements are known to occur in nature, and 22 more have been made artificially. Elements—which include substances such as oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur—cannot be broken into more elementary substances by ordinary chemical means. The elements are arranged in the periodic table in rows from the lightest element (hydrogen) to the heaviest (ununbium). These rows are split so that elements with similar chemical properties fall in the same columns.

INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

The smallest representative unit of an element is an atom (see Atom). (For example, the smallest representative of the element helium (He) is a helium atom.) When atoms that come in close contact have a sufficiently large attractive force, a chemical bond, or binding link, forms between them. The combination of two or more atoms bonded together is called a molecule. A molecule is the smallest particle of a substance possessing the specific chemical properties of that substance. For example, an atom of oxygen (O) combines with two atoms of hydrogen (H) to form a water molecule (H2O). While molecules of H2O possess the properties of water, individual oxygen and hydrogen atoms do not.

INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Much of chemistry can be described as breaking substances apart and putting chemical components together to form new substances. This process is accomplished by breaking chemical bonds between atoms and creating new bonds, a process known as a chemical reaction.

IMPORTANT INORGANIC CHEMISTRYAdvances in inorganic chemistry have made

significant contributions to modern living. For instance, synthetic fertilizers manufactured from inorganic chemicals have increased worldwide crop production. Inorganic substances used to fabricate silicon chips help power the global information age. Engineers use metal alloys in automobiles and aircraft to make them lighter and stronger. Companies also use inorganic compounds to fabricate concrete, steel, and glass—materials used to construct buildings, infrastructure, and other public works around the world.

IMPORTANT INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

The remaining five most commonly produced inorganic chemicals (which frequently interchange rankings in production volume) are also used in a wide variety of applications. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), commonly called lye, is used in the manufacture of paper, soap, detergents, and synthetic fibers, and is also a caustic material used as a drain cleaner. Chlorine (Cl2) is used to manufacture vinyl chloride plastic, to disinfect drinking water, and to bleach paper during manufacturing. Phosphoric acid (H3PO4) is used to give soft drinks a tart flavor and to make fertilizers. Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), more commonly known as soda ash, is used in the production of glass, paper, and textiles. Nitric acid (HNO3) is used to make synthetic fibers, such as nylon; explosives, such as nitroglycerin and TNT (trinitrotoluene); and is also combined with ammonia to make fertilizer.