How mass spectroscopy works?
...drugs, etc.). The results from a mass spectrometer tell scientists what the molecule being tested consists of. For example, water (H20) consists of two hydrogens (H) and one oxygen (O) (JEOL, 2003). The total mass of two hydrogens (atomic weight for each hydrogen: 1 u) and one oxygen (atomic weight for each oxygen: 16 u) equals a total of 18 u (atomic mass units), which means that H2O has a total mass of 18 u. A trained mass spectrologist can then interpret the masses and relative abundances of the ions in a mass spectrum and determine the structure of the molecule (JEOL, 2003). There are many varieties of spectrometers, but all use magnetic or electrical fields to apply forces on the charged particles from the chemicals being analysed. A basic mass spectrometer consists of three parts: 1. Source – where ions are produced from the chemical substances 2. Analyser - where ions are separated according to their mass 3. Detector – produces a signal from the separated ions. Mass Spectrometers work by converting a test material into a high-speed stream of electrically charged particles. The stream is then bent by a magnetic/electrical field; heavy slow moving particles (A) and lighter, fast moving particles (B) crash to either side, so only particles of a certain mass (C) reach a detector. The molecules become charged after they are introduced into the mass spectrometer. Again for example...