mass spectroscopy Flashcards
(4 cards)
1
Q
the mass spectroscopy of a molecule
A
- the molecule loses an electron and becomes a positive ion
- the mass spectrometer detects the m/z ratio
- it will show up at the highest mass peak on the spectrum
- this is called the molecule ion peak
- assuming that z=1 this is equivalent to the molecules molar mass
2
Q
what is fragmentation
A
- some of the molecular ions are split into different fragments
- two species are formed, one uncharged radical and one positively charged fragment
- different fragments are possible which leads to the possibility of having different peaks on the spectrum
- the uncharged radical will not be detected as the mass spectrometer will only detect ions
3
Q
what do the size of the peaks represent
A
- they reflect the likelihood of the particular fragmentation occurring and cannot be easily predicted
4
Q
what are some uses of mass spectroscopy
A
- all molecules fragment in slightly different ways meaning they are all unique
- this can help identify the compounds in the sample
- its good for urine testing to pick up on any illegal substances in sports
