Which of the following statements about the base peak of a mass spectrum is always true?
A)The base peak corresponds to the molecular ion.
B)The base peak corresponds to the most abundant ion.
C)The base peak corresponds to the lowest m/z.
D)None of these.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The base peak in a mass spectrum corresponds to the most abundant ion, meaning the ion with the highest intensity in the spectrum. It is not necessarily the molecular ion (A), which is the ion corresponding to the unfragmented parent molecule, and it is not necessarily the lowest m/z (C). Therefore, the correct choice is B.

Which of the Following Statements About the Base Peak of a Mass