Which of the following is an organic molecule?

• A. ${\mathrm{NaCl}}_{\mathrm{}}$ (sodium chloride)
• B. ${\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{OH}$ (methanol)
• C. ${\mathrm{Na}}_2\mathrm{SO}{4}_2$ (sodium sulfate)
• D. $H_{2}O$ (water)

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the definition of an organic molecule. Organic molecules primarily contain carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, or other elements, and are typically associated with living organisms or their derivatives.
2. Step 2: Examine each given compound to identify the presence of carbon atoms. Sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), and water (H2O) do not contain carbon atoms, so they are inorganic compounds.
3. Step 3: Look at methanol (CH3OH). It contains carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms, fitting the criteria for an organic molecule.
4. Step 4: Confirm that methanol has carbon bonded to hydrogen and oxygen, which is characteristic of many organic compounds, especially alcohols.
5. Step 5: Conclude that among the options, methanol (CH3OH) is the organic molecule because it contains carbon-hydrogen bonds, distinguishing it from the inorganic compounds listed.