Chemistry: A Molecular Approach (3rd Edition)

Published by Prentice Hall
ISBN 10: 0321809246
ISBN 13: 978-0-32180-924-7

Chapter 2 - Sections 2.1-2.9 - Exercises - Review Questions - Page 79: 25

Answer

In a mass spectrometer the sample is vaporized in the machine, then ionized. Charged plates force the cations into a magnetic field which deflects them based on their mass.

Work Step by Step

This produces the mass spectrum of the constituent elements of the sample that indicates the mass of the isotopes and their relative abundances.
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