What is Mass spectrometry ?

Mass spectrometry:

The mass spectrometer happens to be an important device to measure the relative mass associated with atom, a molecule or a particular ion accurately.

Typically the mass spectrometer separates atoms and molecules as reported by their mass and also shows the relative variety of the different atoms and molecules present.

Then the data is generated from ion detector of mass spectrometer which can be use to make a graph in the computer where we can identify different elements or compounds present in the sample.

Typically the masses of atoms, molecules and fragments of molecules are generally measured using a mass spectrometer.

Atoms are very tiny. It is almost impossible to measure the mass of an atom in the traditional way.  A mass spectrometry separates the atoms and molecules

Definition of Isotopes :

Isotopes are the atoms of the same element with same atomic no. but differing mass no.

The isotopes are the atoms of the same elements which have:

same atomic numbers

same no. of protons

same no. of electrons

similar chemical properties

same symbol

but

differing  mass numbers

differing  number of neutrons

differing physical properties.

We will find the following  things by using mass spectrometer:-

a) Relative atomic mass :

It is the average mass of an atom of an element compared to  1/12 th of the mass of 1 atom of Carbon-12 isotope.

b) Relative isotopic mass :

It is the mass of 1 atom of an isotope of an element compared to 1/12 th of the mass of 1 atom of Carbon – 12 isotope.

c) Relative molecular mass :

It is the mass of 1 molecule of a substance compared to 1/12^th of the mass of 1 atom of Carbon – 12 isotope.