Mass Spectrum

A mass spectrum is a graphical representation of the ions present in a sample, which is created by passing the sample through an instrument known as a mass spectrometer. The spectrum is then plotted with the ions' mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) on the x-axis and the relative abundance of each ion on the y-axis. Mass spectra are incredibly useful for analyzing the composition of a sample, as different compounds and even isotopes of the same compound will have different m/z ratios. They are used extensively in fields such as forensics and drug testing, as well as for various research purposes, including the identification of unknown compounds and the investigation of biochemical pathways.