Carbon has two stable isotopes, 6^12 C and 6^13 C, and fluorine has only one stable isotope,

step 1 On the mass spectrum, we can observe a CF4 cations. And we would like to actually predict how ma

Carbon has two stable isotopes, 6^12 C and 6^13 C, and...

Carbon has two stable isotopes, ${ }_{6}^{12} \mathrm{C}$ and ${ }_{6}^{13} \mathrm{C},$ and fluorine has only one stable isotope, ${ }_{9}^{19} \mathrm{~F}$. How many peaks would you observe in the mass spectrum of the positive ion of $\mathrm{CF}_{4}^{+} ?$ Assume that the ion does not break up into smaller fragments.

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Key Concepts

Stable Isotopes

Stable isotopes are versions of elements that do not undergo radioactive decay. They naturally occur in a fixed relative abundance and can give rise to different mass variants of molecules. This concept is important because the presence of multiple stable isotopes in a molecule leads to multiple peaks in a mass spectrum.

Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. It is used to determine molecular masses and observe the distribution of different isotopic variants in a substance, which appear as distinct peaks in the mass spectrum.

Molecular Ion

The molecular ion is the ion formed when a molecule is ionized without breaking apart into smaller fragments. It represents the intact molecule, and any isotopic substitution within it leads to a variation in its overall mass, influencing the number of observed peaks.

Isotopic Variation

Isotopic variation refers to the differences in mass that arise when atoms in a molecule are replaced by their isotopes. These small changes in mass create distinct mass peaks for each variant of the molecular ion in a mass spectrum.

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