What is a mass spectrometer? how does it work?

Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. The results are typically presented as a mass spectrum, a plot of intensity as a function of the mass-to-charge ratio.

Explanation:

Tip your bucket into a mass spectrometer. It turns the atoms into ions Then it will separate the ions by passing them first through an electric field, then through a magnetic field, so they fan out into a spectrum