Which inorganic compound is known to undergo solid state reaction to form urea?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. Ammonium cyanate .
The inorganic compound known to undergo a solid-state reaction to form urea is ammonium cyanate (NH₄OCN). This reaction was first demonstrated by the German chemist Friedrich Wöhler in 1828, marking a significant milestone in the history of chemistry. Wöhler heated ammonium cyanate, an inorganic compound, and it rearranged its atoms to form urea (NH₂CONH₂), an organic compound. This transformation disproved the then-prevailing belief that organic compounds could only be synthesized by living organisms. The reaction is:
NH₄OCN → NH₂CONH₂ (urea)
This discovery laid the foundation for modern organic chemistry and blurred the distinction between organic and inorganic substances.