Question

Which of the following is true about time of flight analyser spectrometers?

(a) Lighter particles arrive at the detector earlier

(b) Heavier particle arrive at the detector earlier

(c) Lighter and heavier particles arrive together at the detector

(d) Lighter particles do not reach the detector

I have been asked this question in final exam.

This key question is from Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer in chapter Mass Spectrometer of Analytical Instrumentation

Answer 1

Right option is (a) Lighter particles arrive at the detector earlier

To explain: Lighter particles arrive at the detector earlier than the heavier particles. The time difference is used to separate the electrons according to their mass.