In a typical mass spectrum,a smaller signal is observed at a mass 1 amu higher than the molecular ion peak.Why? A)Due to small impurities in the sample B)Machine error C)Because a small percentage of the compound will have a carbon that is the isotope ¹³C instead of ¹²C D)Because of fragmentation

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The small signal observed at a mass 1 amu higher than the molecular ion peak is due to the presence of a small percentage of the compound that has a carbon atom with the isotope ¹³C instead of the more common isotope ¹²C. This is known as a isotopic peak and is a result of the natural abundance of isotopes in a sample.

In a Typical Mass Spectrum,a Smaller Signal Is Observed at a Mass