Mass-spectroscopy charge stripping

Chemists use an instrument called a mass spectrometer to measure the relative abundance of isotopes. There are different kinds of mass spectrometers, but the basic idea is to measure the mass of a substance by applying a force. The response to this force depends on the object s mass—think of Newton s second law, where acceleration equals force divided by mass. In the case of mass spectroscopy, the substances to be measured are first ionized—they are made into charged particles called ions by stripping electrons. A magnetic field deflects the motion of an ion, and the deflection depends on the ion s mass, most of which is due to the protons and neutrons in the nucleus. The technique separates different isotopes and measures their abundance in a given sample. 

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