ABSTRACT
Mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful analytical tool with vast applications in organic, inorganic, environmental, polymer, and physical chemistry, physics, geology, climatology, paleontology, archeology, materials science, biology, and medicine. This chapter introduces the interpretation of simple mass spectra for the identification of molecules. The major reasons for learning to interpret mass spectra of molecules are so that the structure of an unknown compound can be deduced and an unknown molecule can be completely and unambiguously identified. The molecular ion generally has absorbed excess energy in the ionization process. The discussion of fragmentation patterns based on chemical families will be expounded later in the discussion of mass spectral interpretation. The most important use of high-resolution MS is the direct determination of molecular formulas by exact mass measurements. The general appearance of the mass spectrum depends on the type of compound analyzed.
