What are the factors that determine whether a molecule is organic or not?

Question

What are the factors that determine whether a molecule is organic or not?

Answer 1

If it has carbon its organic

Answer 2

There are two definitions

1.  Molecules came out of living things.  Sugar comes from  sugar cane, which is a plant, so it is organic.  Urea came from urine.  That is organic

On the other hand (silicon dioxide) is not organic, it is called inorganic.  similarly all metals are inorganic.

2.  Another more difficult definition is "carbon containg molecules" except CO and CO2.  You have to be a chemist to understand that.

Answer 3

The simple answer is that organic chemistry is the study of carbon based compounds. So, in general, if it contains carbon in the molecule, it is an organic substance. However, carbonates containg the CO3 2- ion are not considered to be organic, also CO2 and CO.

Conversely, if a compound does not contain carbon it is not an organic compound.