A Mass Spectrometer Works by Ionizing Atoms or Molecules, and Then

question 140

Multiple Choice

A mass spectrometer works by ionizing atoms or molecules, and then accelerating them through oppositely charged plates. The mass is obtained by

• A) measuring the force of impact on a detecting screen, and then calculating the mass using force = mass * acceleration.
• B) suspending the ions in an applied electric field, and then calculating mass by the setting the downward gravitational force equal to the upward electrostatic force.
• C) measuring the magnitude of deflection as the ions pass through a magnetic field to obtain the charge-to-mass ratio, and then calculating the mass from that ratio.
• D) measuring the time it takes for the ions to hit the detector at a known distance to calculate the acceleration, and then calculating mass from force = mass * acceleration.

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Definitions:

Vagrancy

A condition of homelessness and joblessness, often criminalized, where individuals wander from place to place without a permanent home or lawful employment.

Self-denial

The act of sacrificing one's own desires or needs, often for ethical or religious reasons.

Puritan

A member of a group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England from its "Catholic" practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and needed to become more Protestant.