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Overview

Mass spectroscopy is a technique used by Chemists to identify a substance. It works by breaking the substance down into "fragments" of differing mass, computer equipment connected to the spectrometer can then calculate the amount of these fragments and the variation, which can lead to a identification.

The Process

There are four steps to the mass spectrometer:

IONISATION: Atoms of a gaseous element diffused into the path of electrons from an electron gun are ionised. These electrons knock off other electrons to leave positively charged ions.

ACCELERATION: Positive ions are accelerated by electrically charged plates and focused through slits.

DEFLECTION:.....to be continued

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Overview

The Process