mass spectrometer

noun

, Physics.

1. a device for identifying the kinds of particles present in a given substance: the particles are ionized and beamed through an electromagnetic field and the manner in which they are deflected is indicative of their mass and, thus, their identity.

mass spectrometer

noun

1. an analytical instrument in which ions, produced from a sample, are separated by electric or magnetic fields according to their ratios of charge to mass. A record is produced ( mass spectrum ) of the types of ion present and their relative amounts

Word History and Origins

Origin of mass spectrometer¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Since it was founded, Ginkgo has spent nearly half a billion dollars, much of it building labs equipped with robots, gene sequencers and sophisticated lab instruments such as mass spectrometers.

From MIT Technology Review

Marine detectives analyze samples of suspected spills through a mass spectrometer, a relatively old technology that can identify the types of molecules in a sample by blasting it through heat and magnets.

From Voice of San Diego

The probe will carry a mass spectrometer, which can measure the mass of different molecules in a sample.

From Singularity Hub 

He crushed the rest and concentrated the tungsten, then analyzed the tungsten isotope ratios in a mass spectrometer.

From Quanta Magazine

The researchers ground the meteorites to powder, then heated the powder in a special furnace hooked up to a mass spectrometer that can detect trace amounts of different gases.

From Science News