mass spectrometer

American  

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 British  

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

---

Etymology

Origin of mass spectrometer

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

The team used a nitrate chemical ionization mass spectrometer, a sensitive instrument that can identify specific compounds in the air.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026

Then an instrument called a mass spectrometer will analyse any gases that are released.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2025

Just 1 day of data from Rosetta’s mass spectrometer, an instrument that can identify molecules by their specific weights, was enough for Hänni and her colleagues to find DMS.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 26, 2024

Such mass production would make it cheaper than typical ionizers that often require manual labor, need expensive hardware to interface with the mass spectrometer, or must be built in a semiconductor clean room.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2024

In some cases a mass spectrometer is used to analyze the products.

From LRL Accelerators The 184-Inch Synchrocyclotron by Laboratory, Lawrence Radiation