Talk:Mass/Charge Ratio Comments: Difference between revisions
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Now, if [q] is the elementary charge, n will always be a whole number. Whole numbers are often indicated with z. Therefore in this special case we could write: | Now, if [q] is the elementary charge, n will always be a whole number. Whole numbers are often indicated with z. Therefore in this special case we could write: | ||
: ''q'' = z x '''e''' | : ''q'' = z x '''e''' | ||
This means z is not the symbol of charge (as it is used by mass spectrometrists '''m/z'''), it is only the numerical factor belonging to the unit. Hence z is the number that you read from the x-axis and should not appear in the label. | This means z is not the symbol of charge (as it is used by mass spectrometrists ('''m/z'''), it is only the numerical factor belonging to the unit. Hence z is the number that you read from the x-axis and should not appear in the label. | ||
Compare this with a length measurement: | Compare this with a length measurement: | ||
: ''l'' = n [''l''] or, when measuring in meters: ''l'' = n '''m''' | : ''l'' = n [''l''] or, when measuring in meters: ''l'' = n '''m''' | ||
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Obviously, everyone in MS wants to measure the mass in amu and the charge in elementary charge units. | |||
: ''m'' = n [''m''] if [''m''] is amu it becomes: ''m'' = n '''u''' | : ''m'' = n [''m''] if [''m''] is amu it becomes: ''m'' = n '''u''' | ||
: ''q'' = n [''q''] turns into ''q'' = n '''e''' or maybe ''q'' = z '''e''' as argued above. | : ''q'' = n [''q''] turns into ''q'' = n '''e''' or maybe ''q'' = z '''e''' as argued above. |