Final answer:
An inorganic compound is defined as a substance that typically does not contain both carbon and hydrogen, featuring examples such as water and carbon dioxide, and are often made of metals and nonmetals. While most adhere to this definition, some exceptions exist.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is an Inorganic Chemical?
An inorganic compound is a substance that, generally, does not contain both carbon and hydrogen. There are exceptions, but typically, inorganic compounds are either ionic or higly polar covalent. Some examples of inorganic compounds include water (H₂O), hydrochloric acid (HCl), and carbon dioxide (CO₂). Inorganic compounds may consist of hydrogen atoms, such as in water and hydrochloric acid, but only a few will contain carbon atoms, like carbon dioxide. Furthermore, inorganic substances tend to be made up of a combination of metals and nonmetals, like calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), which consists of the metal calcium (Ca), and the nonmetals carbon (C) and oxygen (O).
Exceptions to these rules do exist. A handful of inorganic compounds break the traditional mold, such as metal carbonyls and cyanides which contain carbon but are still considered inorganic. Still, these compounds typically lack the characteristic carbon-hydrogen bonds that define organic chemistry. Additionally, while inorganic compounds obey all natural laws similar to organic compounds, they often display a distinct set of properties that helps in categorizing them as inorganic.