TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > Physics > How a Mass Spectrometer Works
- A Heated Filament lamp gives off electrons
- The sample to be analysed is injected into ionisation chamber where the electrons collide with molecules, removing electrons and forming positive ions
- The ions are accelerated through a electric field
- The magnetic field causes the ions to be deflected and depending upon the mass: charge (M/E) ration, the deflection will be differing degrees
- These ions have the correct path to pass though the slit and arrive at the detector
- The amplifier turns the charge into an electric current
- A pen recorder makes a trace
By keeping and magnetic field constant and varying the accelerating voltage, one ion after another is deflected into the collector and complete trace is obtained
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