Which of the following statements best describes the base peak in a mass spectrum?
A) The peak from the most stable radical.
B) The peak from the species that has the isotope with the highest atomic number.
C) The peak of highest intensity.
D) The peak from the molecule minus an electron.
E) The M +1 peak

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The base peak is defined as the peak of the highest intensity in a mass spectrum, and therefore choice C is correct. The other choices are not correct: A is incorrect because the base peak does not necessarily come from a radical, B is incorrect because the base peak is not related to isotopic information, D is incorrect because the molecule minus an electron would give the parent ion peak, not the base peak, and E is incorrect because the M+1 peak is not necessarily the base peak.

Which of the Following Statements Best Describes the Base Peak