Concept:Identifying isotopes requires sorting atoms based on their tiny differences in physical mass. This requires a specific analytical machine capable of deflecting ions based on their mass-to-charge (m/z) ratio.
Formula:$$ \text{Mass Spectrometry} \rightarrow \text{Separates by m/z ratio} $$
Solution:- Mass spectroscopy (Spectrometry) vaporizes a sample, ionizes it, and accelerates it through a magnetic field.
- Heavier isotopes deflect less, and lighter isotopes deflect more.
- By mapping these deflections, a detector outputs a graph showing both the exact mass of each isotope and the relative abundance (percentage) of each in nature.
Why other options are incorrect:- U.V spectroscopy: Analyzes electronic transitions in molecules, useful for identifying conjugated bonds, not mass.
- N.M.R (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance): Analyzes the magnetic properties of nuclei (like H and C-13) to determine molecular structure, but is not used to quantify generalized isotopic abundance ratios.
- R spectroscopy: Likely a typo for IR (Infrared), which analyzes functional group vibrations, not atomic masses.
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