Why is the acids and bases are inorganic compound?

Answer 1

They are not always inorganic. For example, benzoic acid, ethanoic acid and ascorbic acid (vitamin c) are all organic compounds.

However, acids and bases are generally ionic compounds when in solution. This is because the definition of an acid , as well as something with a pH of less than 7, can be "a substance that can form ions, the only positive ion present being the Hydrogen H+ ion".

Similarly a base is the oxide or hydroxide of a metal (or something acting like a metal such as the ammonium ion). Bases that dissolve in water react with the water to form alkalis which have, as their only negative ions, hydroxide ions (OH-).

Therefore, all acids and bases must be ionic compounds rather than covalent compounds as they need to form ions in solution.

Furthermore, there are many acids that are covalent (such as the organic acids above) and only become acids when in solution. Such an example is thanoic acid which is a covalent compound:

CH3COOH.

This is not acidic unless it is in the presence of water, when it becomes an acid splitting into ions:

CH3COOH -----------> CH3COO- + H+

Answer 2

Acids and bases are considered inorganic compounds because they do not contain carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds, which are a defining characteristic of organic compounds. Inorganic compounds typically consist of elements other than carbon, such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and others. Acids and bases are important inorganic compounds in chemistry due to their ability to donate or accept protons, influencing chemical reactions and the pH of a solution.