Answer
In a mass spectrometer, the sample is injected into the instrument and vaporized. The vaporized atoms are then ionized by an electron beam. The electrons in the beam collide with the vaporized atoms, removing electrons from the atoms and creating positively charged ions. Charged plates with slits in them accelerate the positively charged ions into a magnetic field, which deflects them. Ions with a lighter mass are deflected more than heavier ones. The ions then strike a detector that produces and records an electrical signal.
Work Step by Step
In a mass spectrometer, the sample is injected into the instrument and vaporized. The vaporized atoms are then ionized by an electron beam. The electrons in the beam collide with the vaporized atoms, removing electrons from the atoms and creating positively charged ions. Charged plates with slits in them accelerate the positively charged ions into a magnetic field, which deflects them. Ions with a lighter mass are deflected more than heavier ones. The ions then strike a detector that produces and records an electrical signal.
