Sodium chloride is an inorganic compound because it doesn’t contain carbon. Organic compounds are defined to be those that contain carbon, although some simpler carbon-containing compounds such as CO2 are considered inorganic. At one time the label organic described compounds that were found in living things while inorganic compounds came from minerals in the earth.

Some examples of inorganic compounds are salts, water, and minerals such as metal oxides, phosphates, carbonates and silicates. There are about 1 million known inorganic compounds.

Some examples of organic compounds are petroleum products, fats, carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids. Organic molecules usually contain multiple carbon and hydrogen atoms. There are over 9 million different known organic compounds. This is made possible because of carbon's versatility. It forms four covalent bonds. Many carbon atoms can bond together in long chains and branched and cyclic structures. Other elements commonly found in organic compounds are oxygen, sulfur and phosphorous.