Mass Spectrometry Quiz

1.
What is the electric charge of an ion with m/z = m?
- 1 C
- 1.602 176 634 x 10^-19 C
- 1 eV
Your answer:

Correct answer:

The particle carries one elementary charge, the value of which is 1.602 176 634 × 10⁻¹⁹ C (exactly).
2.
List these compounds according to their increasing mass: hydrazine (H4N2), oxygen (O2), methanol (CH4O).
- Hydrazine, oxygen, methanol
- Methanol, hydrazine, oxygen
- Oxygen, methanol, hydrazine
Your answer:

Correct answer:

The monoisotopic masses of these compounds are 31.989829 Da (oxygen), 32.026215 Da (methanol), and 32.037448 Da (hydrazine).
3.
What is the base peak in the mass spectrum?
- The peak with the greatest m/z value
- The peak from which fragments are formed
- The peak that has the greatest intensity
Your answer:

Correct answer:

The base peak is the peak with the greatest intensity among all peaks in the spectrum. The intensity of each peak in the spectrum is expressed as a percentage relative to the intensity of the base peak.
4.
Which element has the largest number of stable isotopes?
- Molybdenum
- Tin
- Ytterbium
Your answer:

Correct answer:

Naturally occurring tin is a mixture of its ten stable isotopes and they are found in the percentages as follows: ¹¹²Sn (1.0 %), ¹¹⁴Sn (0.7 %), ¹¹⁵Sn (0.3 %), ¹¹⁶Sn (14.5 %), ¹¹⁷Sn (7.7 %), ¹¹⁸Sn (24.2 %), ¹¹⁹Sn (8.6 %), ¹²⁰Sn (32.6 %), ¹²²Sn (4.6 %), and ¹²⁴Sn (5.8 %). Molybdenum has six stable isotopes, ytterbium seven.
5.
How many elements of the periodic table have only a single stable isotope?
- 0
- 15
- 26
Your answer:

Correct answer:

These so-called monoisotopic elements are beryllium, fluorine, sodium, aluminum, phosphorus, scandium, vanadium, manganese, cobalt, arsenic, rubidium, yttrium, niobium, rhodium, indium, iodine, cesium, lanthanum, praseodymium, europium, terbium, holmium, thulium, lutecium, rhenium, and gold.
6.
What principle of positive ray detection was used in the first Thomson's parabola spectrographs?
- Phosphorescence of willemite
- Darkening of a photographic plate
- Charge detection using an electrometer
Your answer:

Correct answer:

In the spectrographs used by Thomson until 1910, the rays of positive electricity were detected by the phosphorescence they produced on a willemite screen. The screen was made by grinding rare zinc mineral willemite into a fine powder. After shaking in alcohol, the suspension was allowed to deposit slowly on a glass plate. Later, a photographic plate inside the spectrograph was used for more sensitive detection.
7.
Lunar craters are usually named after scientists and explorers. One of the craters on the Moon is named after a prominent scientist in the field of mass spectrometry. Who is named after?
- Francis William Aston
- Wolfgang Paul
- John Bennett Fenn
Your answer:

Correct answer:

Aston is a 44-kilometer lunar impact crater located along the northwestern limb of the Moon. The crater was named in honor of Francis W. Aston.
8.
What is the trajectory of a charged particle moving perpendicularly to a uniform magnetic field in a vacuum?
- The particle follows a curved path and continues to follow this path until it forms a complete circle
- The particle follows a helical path
- The particle follows a straight line and accelerates
Your answer:

Correct answer:

The magnetic force is perpendicular to the velocity so that it does no work on the charged particle. The particle’s kinetic energy and speed thus remain constant. The direction of motion is affected but not the speed.
9.
What is the trajectory of a charged particle moving parallel to a uniform electric field in a vacuum?
- The particle follows a curved path and continues to follow this path until it forms a complete circle
- Neither the trajectory nor the velocity of the particle changes
- The particle either accelerates or decelerates, depending on the field direction and the particle charge sign
Your answer:

Correct answer:

If a positive charge is moving in the same direction as the electric field vector the particle's velocity will increase. If it is moving in the opposite direction it will decelerate. If a negative charge is moving in the same direction as the electric field vector the particle will decelerate. If it is moving in the opposite direction it will accelerate.
10.
Joseph John Thomson (1856 - 1940), Nobel laureate in physics, is credited with the invention of the mass spectrometer, the discovery of the electron and isotopes of stable elements. A lesser-known fact is his father's profession. What was it?
- Electrical engineer
- Owner of an antiquarian bookshop
- Circus ringmaster
Your answer:

Correct answer:

His father, Joseph James Thomson, ran an antiquarian bookshop founded by Thomson’s great-grandfather. [Wikipedia]

Mass Spectrometry Quiz

Mass Spectrometry Quiz

Thank you for taking our quiz!

1.
What is the electric charge of an ion with m/z = m?

2.
List these compounds according to their increasing mass: hydrazine (H4N2), oxygen (O2), methanol (CH4O).

3.
What is the base peak in the mass spectrum?

4.
Which element has the largest number of stable isotopes?

5.
How many elements of the periodic table have only a single stable isotope?

6.
What principle of positive ray detection was used in the first Thomson's parabola spectrographs?

7.
Lunar craters are usually named after scientists and explorers. One of the craters on the Moon is named after a prominent scientist in the field of mass spectrometry. Who is named after?

8.
What is the trajectory of a charged particle moving perpendicularly to a uniform magnetic field in a vacuum?

9.
What is the trajectory of a charged particle moving parallel to a uniform electric field in a vacuum?

10.
Joseph John Thomson (1856 - 1940), Nobel laureate in physics, is credited with the invention of the mass spectrometer, the discovery of the electron and isotopes of stable elements. A lesser-known fact is his father's profession. What was it?

Czech Museum
of Mass Spectrometry

Our partners

Mass Spectrometry Quiz

Mass Spectrometry Quiz

Thank you for taking our quiz!

1. What is the electric charge of an ion with m/z = m?

2. List these compounds according to their increasing mass: hydrazine (H4N2), oxygen (O2), methanol (CH4O).

3. What is the base peak in the mass spectrum?

4. Which element has the largest number of stable isotopes?

5. How many elements of the periodic table have only a single stable isotope?

6. What principle of positive ray detection was used in the first Thomson's parabola spectrographs?

7. Lunar craters are usually named after scientists and explorers. One of the craters on the Moon is named after a prominent scientist in the field of mass spectrometry. Who is named after?

8. What is the trajectory of a charged particle moving perpendicularly to a uniform magnetic field in a vacuum?

9. What is the trajectory of a charged particle moving parallel to a uniform electric field in a vacuum?

10. Joseph John Thomson (1856 - 1940), Nobel laureate in physics, is credited with the invention of the mass spectrometer, the discovery of the electron and isotopes of stable elements. A lesser-known fact is his father's profession. What was it?

Czech Museumof Mass Spectrometry

Our partners

1.
What is the electric charge of an ion with m/z = m?

2.
List these compounds according to their increasing mass: hydrazine (H4N2), oxygen (O2), methanol (CH4O).

3.
What is the base peak in the mass spectrum?

4.
Which element has the largest number of stable isotopes?

5.
How many elements of the periodic table have only a single stable isotope?

6.
What principle of positive ray detection was used in the first Thomson's parabola spectrographs?

7.
Lunar craters are usually named after scientists and explorers. One of the craters on the Moon is named after a prominent scientist in the field of mass spectrometry. Who is named after?

8.
What is the trajectory of a charged particle moving perpendicularly to a uniform magnetic field in a vacuum?

9.
What is the trajectory of a charged particle moving parallel to a uniform electric field in a vacuum?

10.
Joseph John Thomson (1856 - 1940), Nobel laureate in physics, is credited with the invention of the mass spectrometer, the discovery of the electron and isotopes of stable elements. A lesser-known fact is his father's profession. What was it?

Czech Museum
of Mass Spectrometry