Question

the ions get sorted based on their size and a detector records each type of ion as a certain signal. a sample spectrum of neon is shown below with three different peaks. what is represented by these different peaks?

different elements
different isotopes
different molecules

Explanation:

The spectrum is of neon, so all peaks are for neon. Isotopes are atoms of the same element with different mass numbers (due to different neutron numbers). The x - axis is mass number, and the peaks represent different mass numbers of neon, which are isotopes. Different elements would have different atomic numbers (not the case here as it's neon), and neon is a single - atom element, so no different molecules (molecules have multiple atoms).

Answer:

B. Different isotopes