The key difference between minerals and crystals is that minerals are naturally occurring substances whereas crystals can be natural or synthetic. Mineralogy is the study of minerals. We have discovered more than 4000 minerals, and they have a crystalline structure. Inside the earth, due to heat and various other reactions, minerals and rocks melt together. […]
Difference Between Hydrogen and Helium
The key difference between hydrogen and helium is that hydrogen is a diatomic gas, while helium is a monatomic gas. Hydrogen and helium are the first two elements in the periodic table. Both are gases and have a high abundance in the universe. They are very simple elements having electrons filled to 1s orbital only. […]
Difference Between Glass and Crystal
The key difference between glass and crystal is that the glass has an amorphous structure whereas the crystal has a crystalline structure. Glass and crystals have many important uses due to their special chemical and physical properties. They have very high melting points and unique optical properties. Both are very rigid material and have complex […]
Difference Between Radioactivity and Radiation
The key difference between radioactivity and radiation is that radioactivity is the process by which certain elements release radiation whereas radiation is the energy or energetic particles that are released by radioactive elements. Radioactivity was a natural process, existing in the universe since time immemorial. Thus, it was a chance discovery by Henry Becquerel in […]
Difference Between Solution and Suspension
The key difference between solution and suspension is that the particles of a solution are invisible to the naked eye whereas the particles of the suspension are visible. In the natural environment, most of the substances exist as mixtures (E.g. air, water). In a mixture, there are two or more substances, but they do not […]
Difference Between Ionic and Molecular Compounds
The key difference between ionic and molecular compounds is that the ionic compounds have electrostatic attraction forces between cations and anions whereas the molecular compounds have only covalent chemical bonds between the atoms. Chemical elements can join with each other to form chemical compounds. The elements bind together via chemical bonds that have ionic or […]
Difference Between Endothermic and Exothermic Reactions
The key difference between endothermic and exothermic reactions is that endothermic reactions absorb energy from the surrounding environment, whereas exothermic reactions release energy to the surrounding environment. Energy is the capacity to do work. In a system, energy can do work; it can change into other forms such as heat, sound, light etc. When the […]
Difference Between Ammonia and Ammonium
The key difference between ammonia and ammonium is that ammonia is an uncharged polar molecule existing as a gas at room temperature, whereas ammonium ions are charged and exist as free ions in solution or as crystallized salt compounds. There are few images and even certain smells that our minds immediately associate with ammonia or […]
Difference Between Nitrate and Nitrite
The key difference between nitrate and nitrite is that nitrate contains three oxygen atoms bonded to a nitrogen atom whereas nitrite contains two oxygen atoms bonded to a nitrogen atom. Both nitrate and nitrite are inorganic anions consisting of nitrogen and oxygen atoms. Both these anions have a -1 electrical charge. They mainly occur as […]
Difference Between Ammonia and Ammonium Nitrate
The key difference between ammonia and ammonium nitrate is that ammonia is a gaseous compound while ammonium nitrate is a solid compound at room temperature and pressure. Both ammonia and ammonium nitrate are nitrogen-containing compounds. However, there are differences between ammonia and ammonium nitrate in their chemical structure, appearance and properties. We will be discussing […]