Hobbies And Interests
Ionic Compounds
Ionic or electrovalent compounds are formed when nonmetals and metals react. The outer electrons; also known as valence electrons, of one or more metals are transferred to one or more non-metals. This results in positively charged metallic cations and negatively charged nonmetallic anions. Opposite charges attract each other, and so an ionic bond is formed because of this electrostatic attraction.
Covalent Compounds
Covalent compounds consist of nonmetallic atoms bonded together. The bonds in covalent compounds are formed when a pair of electrons are shared. Covalent bonds are strong, and as a result a great deal of energy is required to break them. Different nonmetals form different numbers of bonds. While chlorine and hydrogen are only able to make one bond, elements such as carbon and silicon in group four of the periodic table are able to form four covalent bonds. Some covalent compounds have long chains of atoms bonded together while others are very small. This means the masses and properties of covalent compounds vary a great deal.
Organic Compounds
Crucially organic compounds form the basis of life. All life forms on earth use organic compounds as the foundation of their construction and for functioning. Organic compounds are covalent compounds in some cases, but at the core of organic compounds lies one or more covalently linked carbon atoms. For a molecule containing carbon to be defined as organic at least one carbon atom must be bonded covalently to an atom of a different element. Most commonly carbon is bonded with hydrogen, oxygen or nitrogen, but many different elements and arrangements of atoms can form part of organic compounds. This results in a huge variation in size, shape, function and properties of organic compounds.
Inorganic Compounds
All compounds that are not organic compounds are now classed as inorganic compounds. Inorganic compounds were traditionally defined as those that were not of a biological origin, but with the increase in synthetic production of organic compounds, this is no longer the case. Inorganic compounds include all ionic salts and covalent compounds without "organically" bonded carbon atoms. The definition is blurred between organic and inorganic compounds as some carbon compounds such as carbon monoxide, carbonates and cyanides are considered inorganic despite the carbon atom being bonded to an atom of a different element.