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Frequently Asked Question
Questions asked by users might not always be phrased in the clearest way.
How is atomic absorption spectroscopy difer from mass spectrometer
Accepted Answer
Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and mass spectrometry (MS) are both analytical techniques used to determine the elemental composition of a sample. However, they differ in their principles of operation, instrumentation, and applications.
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS)
- Measures the absorption of light by atoms in the sample.
- Analyzes one element at a time.
- Requires a separate lamp for each element being measured.
- Sensitive to parts per million (ppm) or parts per billion (ppb) concentrations.
- Applications: Environmental monitoring, food analysis, clinical chemistry.
Mass Spectrometry (MS)
- Measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions in the sample.
- Can analyze multiple elements simultaneously.
- Does not require a separate source for each element.
- Sensitive to parts per trillion (ppt) or parts per quadrillion (ppq) concentrations.
- Applications: Proteomics, metabolomics, environmental analysis, drug discovery.
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