mass spectrometry

Question 1

what is mass spectrometry

Answer 1

technique used to measure the mass of atoms or molecules

Question 2

what can mass spectrometer determine

Answer 2

relative isotopic mass and isotopic abundance

Question 3

mass spectra

Answer 3

plots relative abundance of each ion against mass to charge ratios

Question 4

number of peaks in mass spectra

Answer 4

indicates number of isotopes

Question 5

position of each peak

Answer 5

indicates relative isotopic mass

Question 6

heights of peak

Answer 6

relative abundance

Question 7

1) vaporisation

Answer 7

chosen element is heated and vaporized in a vacuum chamber and passed through mass spectrometer

Question 8

2) ionization

Answer 8

vapor passes through high energy electron chamber, where collisions with beam causes atoms to lose one of their electrons and form ions

Question 9

3) acceleration

Answer 9

ions are acceleration by electric field to form a high speed of positive ions that is directed through a strong magnetic field

Question 10

4) deflection

Answer 10

individual ions become deflected by the field and move into circular paths of different radius depending on mass and charge. Lower mass to charge ratio means greater deflection.

Question 11

5) detection

Answer 11

detector measures the intensity and radius of deflection and outs it into a mass spectra with isotopic abundance and isotopic mass, mass to charge ratio