Difference Between Organic Acid and Inorganic Acid

The key difference between organic acid and inorganic acid is that organic acids essentially contain carbon-hydrogen bonds in their structure whereas inorganic acids may or may not contain carbon.

Acids are defined in several ways by various scientists. Regardless of those different definitions, we normally identify an acid as a proton donor.  Acids have a sour taste. Lime juice and vinegar are two acids we usually see in our homes. They react with bases, producing water; they also react with metals to form H₂, increasing metal corrosion rate. Acids can be categorized into two groups based on their ability to dissociate and produce protons. Strong acids are completely ionized in a solution to give protons. Weak acids partially dissociated and give fewer amounts of protons. Furthermore, we can also categorize acids as organic and inorganic acids.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Organic Acid 
3. What is Inorganic Acid
4. Side by Side Comparison – Organic Acid vs Inorganic Acid in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What is Organic Acid?

Organic acids are organic compounds that can act as acids. Organic acids essentially contain hydrogen and carbon with another element/s. Most common organic acids are acetic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, formic acid, etc. These acids have a –COOH group.

Figure 01: Weak Organic Acids

Sometimes, organic compounds having –OH, -SH groups can also act as acids. For example, alcohols have acidic properties. Acetylene can also donate a proton showing acidic properties. The hydrogens attached to alpha carbon of the aldehydes, and ketones are also acidic protons. Often, organic acids are weak acids and partially dissociate in water.

What is Inorganic Acid?

Inorganic acids are the acidic compounds that originate from inorganic sources. A synonym for inorganic acids is mineral acids, and they originate from mineral sources.

Figure 02: Sulfuric Acid is an Inorganic Acid

Inorganic acids release protons when dissolved in water. There are strong inorganic acids like HCl, HNO₃, H₂SO₄ and weak inorganic acids like HCN or H₂S.

What is the Difference Between Organic Acid and Inorganic Acid?

The key difference between organic acid and inorganic acid is that organic acids essentially contain carbon-hydrogen bonds in their structure whereas inorganic acids may or may not contain carbon. Generally, organic acids are weaker acids than inorganic acids. Most organic acids are insoluble in water (sometimes miscible with water) but soluble in organic solvents. However, inorganic acids are generally well soluble in water and non-soluble in organic solvents. Organic acids have a biological origin, whereas inorganic acids haven’t. Inorganic acids are derived from inorganic compounds/mineral sources. In addition, mineral acids are highly reactive with metals, and they have corrosive ability than organic acids.

Summary – Organic Acid vs Inorganic Acid

Acids can be classified as organic and inorganic acids. The key difference between organic acid and inorganic acid is that organic acids essentially contain carbon-hydrogen bonds in their structure whereas inorganic acids may or may not contain carbon.

Reference:

1. Mckenzie, Marian, and Virginia Corrigan. “Potato Flavor.” Advances in Potato Chemistry and Technology, 2016, pp. 339–368., doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-800002-1.00012-1.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Weak Organic Acids” By Hbf878 – Own work (CC0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Sulfuric acid” By Leyo – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia

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