Structure 1.2 - The Nuclear Atom

Question 1

what is a mass spectrometer?

Answer 1

determines the abundance of each isotope of an element

Question 2

basic processes of mass spectrometry

Answer 2

The sample is vapourised
The sample is ionised to form positive ions
The ions are accelerated
Each ion produces a signal which is detected as a mass-to-charge ratio, written as m / e

Question 3

what can mass spectra be used for

Answer 3

to work out relative atomic masses of an element and it’s isotopes