How does a mass spectrometer measure the mass of an ion and find out what complex molecules are?
There are lots of types of mass spectrometer, but they all share similar principles and have 3 basic components: Ion source, mass analyser and detector. The sample is introduced to the spectrometer where it is vapourised and then ionised in the ion source. The ion then passes into the mass analyser. There are many types, but all measure the mass to charge ratio. The ion is accelerated in an electric field, and then deflected in either a magnetic or another electric field. The magnitude of the deflection depends on the mass and charge of the ion. (The following two laws govern the dynamics of charged particles in electric and magnetic fields in vacuum: F= Q(E+VB)(Lorentz force law) F= ma(Newton’s second law of motion) where F is the force applied to the ion, m is the mass of the ion, a is the acceleration, Q is the ion charge, E is the electric field, and v x B is the vector cross product of the ion velocity and the magnetic field Equating the above expressions for the force applied to
