Unit 3: Section 4 - Organic Analysis Flashcards
How is infrared radiation absorption linked to global warming?
Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation and re-emit it towards the Earth.
What is the fingerprint region of an infrared spectrum?
The region between 500 and 1500 cm^-1 which is unique to a particular compound.
What is wavenumber?
A measure used for frequency.
Which way do the peaks on an IR spectra point?
Downwards
What do the peaks on an IR spectra show?
The functional groups in a molecule.
What happens in infrared spectroscopy?
A beam of IR radiation is passed through a sample. The IR radiation is absorbed by covalent bonds in the molecules, increasing their vibrational energy. Bonds between different atoms absorb different frequencies of IR radiation. Bond in different places in a molecule absorb different frequencies too.
How do impurities change the infrared spectrum of a molecule?
Impurities produce extra peaks in the fingerprint region.
What causes the peaks in an IR spectrum to form?
Different bonds absorbing different frequencies or infrared radiation.
What does a high resolution mass spectrometer do?
They measure atomic and molecular masses extremely accurately.
How are high resolution mass spectrometers useful?
When trying to distinguish several compounds that have the same relative mass.
What happens during the process of mass spectrometry?
A molecular ion is formed when a molecule loses an electron. The molecular ions are accelerated towards the detector. The ion produces a molecular ion peak which can be used to find the molecular mass of the molecule.
