Mass spectrometry summary – AS home learning

One of a series of FREE resources designed to help AS Chemistry students in year 12 to finish the AS specification by self-study before starting the A2 year.
This knowledge organiser / poster / mat summarises all the important information about mass spectrometry in a colourful and concise way. It can be printed on one A4 page.
For a more detailed treatment of the topic see Mass spectrometry – A level home learning https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/mass-spectrometry-a-level-home-learning-12287938 which includes an interactive, animated PowerPoint and a worksheet with answers.

This resource was developed primarily for the OCR A level Chemistry specification but is useful for all specifications. It relates to the following sections :
AS: Module 4 – Core organic chemistry
Part 2 – Alcohols, haloalkanes and analysis
4.2.4 Analytical techniques

Please review!

Content covered
• diagram and description of a mass spectrometer
• m/z
• relative intensity
• base peak
• molecular ion
• M+1 peak
• fragments
• interpreting the mass spectrum
• mass spectrum of ethanol
• summary of fragments for ethanol