Mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometry is a technique for separating ions by their mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios. It used to find the composition of a physical sample. It has two broad applications:

Related Topics:
Ion - Mass - Charge - Ratio

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• identifying compounds by the mass of one or more elements in a compound
• determining the isotopic composition of one or more elements in a compound

A mass spectrometer is a device used for mass spectrometry, and produces a mass spectrum of a sample to find its composition. This is normally achieved by ionizing the sample and separating ions of differing masses and recording their relative abundance by measuring intensities of ion flux. A typical mass spectrometer comprises three parts: an ion source, a mass analyzer, and a detector.

Related Topics:
Mass spectrum - Composition - Ion - Ion source

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Mass spectrometry: How it works: in layman terms ►