Final answer:
Inorganic materials do not contain carbon and are critical in technology and energy. They include substances like ceramics and elements other than carbons and hydrogens, such as metals and nonmetals, which form ionic or covalent compounds. These materials can conduct electricity and are studied in engineering fields, particularly material science.
Step-by-step explanation:
Materials that do not contain carbon and are found in rocks and minerals primarily deal with the field of inorganic materials. These materials are significant in the realms of energy and information technology due to their unique properties. An inorganic compound is typically an ionic or covalent compound consisting of metals, nonmetals, or both, but notably excludes organic compounds, which are rich in carbon and hydrogen.
Inorganic compounds like halite (NaCl) and olivine ((Mg,Fe)2SiO4) have defined chemical compositions and form minerals with crystalline structures. These minerals are essential as they are the fundamental components of rocks and have various uses in technology and industry. Ceramics, both silicate and nonsilicate, are examples of inorganic materials that have particular properties like electrical conduction, which are studied in materials engineering, especially within semiconductors and related technologies.
Elements such as carbon are key in forming a vast array of substances, some of which, like diamond and graphite, have significantly diverse properties. However, not all carbon-containing compounds are organic; compounds like carbonates and bicarbonates, as well as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, are categorized as inorganic despite having carbon atoms.