Isotopes and THE MASS SPECTROMETER

OBJECTIVES:
-Recognize isotopes.

-Analyse mass spectra

Nuclear Energy and Sustainability: The UAE has been actively working on developing
nuclear energy as a source of clean and sustainable power. They have constructed the Barakah
Nuclear Power Plant, which is one of the most advanced and safest nuclear power facilities in
the world. Isotopes play a crucial role in nuclear energy generation, as they are used in
nuclear reactors for both fuel and control purposes. The UAE's commitment to nuclear energy
showcases its dedication to a sustainable future and a desire to reduce its reliance on fossil
fuels.
 Atomic Number (Proton Number)

This is the number of Protons found in the nucleus of an atom. All

atoms of a particular element have the same number of protons in
their nuclei.

Relative Atomic Mass (Ar)

This is the mass of an atom compared to all the other atoms in the
period table. It is a ratio and has no unit

Mass Number

This is the relative mass of atoms. It is calculated from adding the

number of protons (Ar = 1) to the number of neutrons (Ar = 1).
Electrons are regarded as having a mass of zero.
 Relative atomic mass = 7

Protons = 3
Electrons = 3
Neutrons = 7 - 3 = 4

Atomic number = 3
Look at your periodic table. The atomic masses are all
whole numbers except for….

The relative Atomic

35.5 Mass of Chlorine is
recorded as 35.5.
Cl 35.5 – 17 = 18.5
Chlorine
17
You can’t have half a
neutron. So how can this
be explained?
 All chlorine atoms have 17 Protons

Some chlorine atoms have

18 Neutrons giving them a
mass of 35

Some chlorine atoms have

20 Neutrons giving them a
mass of 37

These atoms are called ISOTOPES of chlorine

Isotopes are atoms that have the same number of Protons but
different numbers of Neutrons in their nuclei.
75% of the Chlorine in existence is Cl35

25% of the Chlorine in existence is Cl37

This means that the atomic mass shown in the periodic table is
an average of the masses of both isotopes taking into account
their relative proportions.

(75 x 35) + (25 x 37) = 35.5

100
Click on Mixtures, then try different isotope mixtures and monitor the average
atomic mass changes with different compositions.

https://www.online-stopwatch.com/timer/5minutes/
 1.4 THE MASS SPECTROMETER
WHAT IS A MASS SPECTROMETER

An instrument to accurately determine the relative

atomic mass

• Relative atomic mass (Ar) is the average mass of

atoms of an element relative to an atom of carbon – 12

Separates atoms or molecules according

to their charge and mass.

This can be used to identify substances

 e.g. illegal drugs
 1.4 THE MASS SPECTROMETER
THE LAYOUT

4 key stages:

• Ionisation
• Acceleration
• Deflection
• Detection

---- = heavy ions

---- = ions reaching detector
---- = light ions
 1.4 THE MASS SPECTROMETER
MASS SPECTRA OF ELEMENTS

From the strength of the magnetic field at

which a particular ion hits the detector the
value of the mass to charge ratio (called m/z)
is calculated

A graph is produced
(mass spectra)
showing the relative
abundances of each
ion type
Mass spectra
of zirconium
Open your booklet