S1.2 The nuclear atom HL

Question 1

What are the five main stages involved in mass spectrometry?

Answer 1

Vaporization, ionization, acceleration, deflection, and detection.

Question 2

How does the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) affect the deflection of ions in a mass spectrometer?

Answer 2

Ions with lower m/z ratios are deflected more than ions with higher m/z ratios.

Question 3

What information does a mass spectrum provide about isotopes?

Answer 3

It shows the relative abundance and mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios of an element’s isotopes.

Question 4

How do you calculate the relative atomic mass of an element using its mass spectrum data?

Answer 4

Multiply the mass of each isotope by its relative abundance, sum these values, and divide by 100.

Question 5

How does mass spectrometry differentiate between isotopes of the same element?

Answer 5

Mass spectrometry differentiates isotopes by their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z), as isotopes have different masses due to the number of neutrons.

Question 6

What does the height of a peak in a mass spectrum indicate?

Answer 6

The height of a peak in a mass spectrum indicates the relative abundance of that isotope or molecule.