What is mass spectroscopy?

In this technique, the compound under investigation is bombarded with a beam of electrons which produces an ionic molecule or ionic fragments of original species. The resulting assortment of charged particles is then separated according to their masses. The spectrum produced is known as mass spectrum, which is a record of information regarding various masses produced and their relative abundance. Mass spectrum is an analytical technique that can provide information concerning the molecular structure of organic and inorganic compounds. It can be used to determine directly molecular weight as high as 4000. It is also useful to investigate reaction mixtures in understanding kinetics and mechanism of unimolecular decomposition reactions.