Relative Mass and the Mass Spectrometer

Relative Mass and the Mass Spectrometer

• Relative mass is a comparison of mass with a unit, based on 1/12th of the mass of a C-12 atom.
• Relative atomic mass represents the average mass of an atom of an element, factoring in the distribution of isotopes.
• Relative molecular mass refers to the mass of a molecule, determined by summing the relative atomic mass of each atom in the molecule’s formula.
• The mass spectrometer is an instrument that measures relative atomic or molecular mass.
• Understanding how a mass spectrometer operates and how to interpret a mass spectrum is crucial.