Mass Spectrometry
A technique that separates ionised molecules and fragments according to their mass-to-charge ratio.
Formula / equation
m/z
Unit
Da
In depth
The sample is ionised, the ions are separated in electric or magnetic fields, and their abundances are recorded. The result gives molecular mass, elemental composition and, through the fragmentation pattern, structural information — all from a vanishingly small sample.
Examples in the real world
Confirming a synthesised peptide's mass; drug screening in sport; carbon dating by accelerator mass spectrometry.