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Inorganic compounds are compounds which are not based on carbon. Organic compounds are compounds which contain carbon atoms. While there are a few carbon-containing molecules that get honorary inorganic status, we will stick with this definition for now and point out the exceptions when they arise. Here are some "world famous" inorganic molecules, shown as structural formulas and ball and stick models. Water, which contains two hydrogens bonded to an oxygen atom, is obviously of central importance to human life. Hydrogen chloride is a gas which makes an acidic solution in water, which we call hydrochloric acid. Elemental oxygen almost always comes in the form of diatomic molecules, with each of the 2 atoms stuck to the other with a double bond.

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