Required practicals & analysis
⏱ ~3-min readAceMark Guide
What this topic is really about
Mass spectrometry measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions, allowing determination of the relative molecular mass from the molecular ion peak and structure from fragments. Functional group identification is wrong because that is primarily achieved using infrared spectroscopy.
The broad absorption peak in the 3200-3600 cm-1 region is characteristic of the O-H stretching vibration due to hydrogen bonding in alcohols or phenols. In contrast, C=O bonds produce a sharp, strong peak at a much lower wavenumber, typically around 1650-1750 cm-1.
See the mechanism
Mass spectrometry measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions, allowing determination of the relative molecular mass from the molecular ion peak and structure from fragments. A diagram for this topic isn't available yet — the worked example below walks the same reasoning step by step.
An exam-style question, fully explained
Mass spectrometry primarily provides:
- Identify what the question tests: Mass spectrometry primarily provides:.
- Mass spectrometry measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions, allowing determination of the relative molecular mass from the molecular ion peak and structure from fragments.
- Functional group identification is wrong because that is primarily achieved using infrared spectroscopy.
Traps the examiner sets
- Functional group identification is wrong because that is primarily achieved using infrared spectroscopy.
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