Spectrometry

Spectrometry is the measurement of the interactions between light and matter, and the reactions and measurements of radiation intensity and wavelength. In other words, spectrometry is a method of studying and measuring a specific spectrum, and it’s widely used for the spectroscopic analysis of sample materials.

Mass spectrometry is an example of a type of spectrometry, and it measures masses within a chemical sample through their mass-to-charge ratio. This is usually done by ionising particles with a shower of electrons, then passing them through a magnetic field to separate them into different stages of deflection. Once the particles are separated, they’re measured by an electron multiplier, and we can identify the makeup of the sample through the weight of each ion’s mass. Typically, scanning electron microscopes offer options for spectrometry based on the application.

The practical uses of mass spectronomy include isotope dating and protein characterisation. Independent roving space exploration robots such as the Mars Phoenix Lander also carry mass spectrometers for the analysis of foreign soils.