Question

the positive ions mainly consist of 1+ charge and move through the spectrometer toward a magnetic field. the magnetic field deflects the ions based on their size. would the lighter ions get deflected more or less than the heavier ions? more less submit

Explanation:

In a mass spectrometer, the radius of the path of a charged particle in a magnetic field is given by \( r=\frac{mv}{qB} \) (where \( m \) is mass, \( v \) is velocity, \( q \) is charge, \( B \) is magnetic field strength). For ions with the same charge (\( q = 1+ \)) and similar velocity (from the spectrometer setup), a smaller mass (\( m \), lighter ions) leads to a smaller radius \( r \), meaning more deflection (since a smaller radius means a tighter, more curved path, i.e., more deflection). So lighter ions deflect more.

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