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Chemistry vocabulary · Analytical Methods

Mass spectrometry

Meaning in chemistry, with examples

nounCommon term

In chemistry, mass spectrometry means: An analysis method that turns molecules into ions, separates the ions by their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) and uses the result to find molecular mass and structure.

In Turkish: kütle spektrometrisi

How it is used

Used for identification, purity checks and trace analysis, often coupled with chromatography as GC-MS or LC-MS. You run a sample on the mass spectrometer and look for the molecular ion peak. Short forms: MS or, in speech, 'mass spec'.

Example sentences

  1. Mass spectrometry showed a molecular ion at m/z 46, which fits ethanol.

  2. Send the sample for mass spectrometry to confirm the molecular weight.

Common collocations

  • GC-MS
  • LC-MS
  • mass spectrum
  • molecular ion peak
  • high-resolution mass spectrometry
  • chromatographyA group of methods that separate the parts of a mixture as they travel at different speeds through a stationary phase, carried by a moving liquid or gas called the mobile phase.
  • spectroscopyThe study of how matter absorbs or emits light and other radiation, used to identify substances and measure their amounts. UV-Vis, IR and NMR are common types.
  • NMRShort for nuclear magnetic resonance: a method that places a sample in a strong magnetic field and uses radio waves to show how the hydrogen or carbon atoms in a molecule are arranged.
  • isotopeOne of two or more forms of the same element whose atoms have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons, such as carbon-12 and carbon-14.

More terms: Analytical Methods

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