HAZMAT Technician Practice Exam

Which of the following represents organic compounds?

1. Compounds that do not contain carbon

2. Compounds that contain carbon

3. Synthetic materials

4. Metal compounds

The correct answer is: Compounds that contain carbon

Organic compounds are primarily characterized by the presence of carbon in their molecular structure. Typically, these compounds consist of carbon atoms bonded with hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and other elements. The foundational definition states that any compound containing carbon, with few exceptions (like carbon oxides and carbonates), is categorized as organic. In this context, while synthetic materials and metal compounds may also include carbon, they do not inherently define organic compounds. Synthetic materials can be either organic or inorganic based on their composition. Metal compounds, on the other hand, generally do not fall within the category of organic compounds since they often do not have carbon as a central component. Therefore, the correct representation of organic compounds is any compound that contains carbon.