BRAINCAKEMass Spectra of Elements
The mass spectrum of an element shows a separate peak for each isotope. The horizontal axis shows the mass to charge ratio (m/z) and the vertical axis shows the relative abundance. For ions with a 1+ charge, the m/z value is equal to the relative isotopic mass.
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Key terms in this lesson
- Relative atomic mass
- The weighted mean mass of an atom of an element compared to 1/12th the mass of a carbon-12 atom.
More in Atomic Structure
- Electrons
- Electron Shells
- The Mass Spectrometer
- Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer
- Low Resolution Mass Spectrometry
- Mass Spectrometer in Space
- Quantum Mechanics
- Energy Levels
All 22 lessons in Atomic Structure · All AQA AS-level Chemistry topics