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2 Mass Spectrometry of Elements

Principle of Mass Spectrometry:

● Technique used to determine the mass-to-charge ratio of ions
● Separates ions based on their mass & charge
● Involves ionizing the sample to form ions, accelerating the ions, & then passing
them through a magnetic field where they are separated based on their mass-to-
charge ratio

Mass Spectrometry of Elements:

● Used to determine the isotopic composition of elements
● Isotopes of an element have different masses due to variations in the number of
neutrons in their nuclei
● Mass spectrometry can distinguish between isotopes based on their mass-to-
charge ratios, allowing the determination of the relative abundance of different
isotopes in a sample

Applications of Mass Spectrometry of Elements:

● Isotopic analysis: mass spectrometry is used to determine the isotopic
composition of elements in various samples, such as geological samples,
environmental samples, and forensic evidence
● Elemental analysis: mass spectrometry can be used to determine the elemental
composition of a sample by measuring the masses of the ions produced from the
sample

Instrumentation:
● Consist of ion sources, mass analyzers, and detectors.
● Ion source ionizes the sample
● Mass analyzer separates the ions based on their mass-to-charge ratios
● Detector measures the ions to determine their abundance.

Interpretation of Mass Spectra:

● Produced by mass spectrometry
● Provide information about the mass and abundance of ions in the sample.
● Peaks in the mass spectrum represent ions with specific mass-to-charge ratios
● Relative heights of the peaks correspond to the relative abundances of the ions.