Both \(\mathrm{C}_{6} \mathrm{H}_{10} \mathrm{O}\) and \(\mathrm{C}_{7} \mathrm{H}_{14}\) have the same nominal mass, namely 98 . Show how these compounds can be distinguished by the \(m / z\) ratio of their molecular ions in highresolution mass spectrometry.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: The molecular compounds C6H10O and C7H14 can be distinguished using their high-resolution mass spectrometry m/z ratios by comparing their exact masses. For C6H10O, the high-resolution m/z ratio is approximately 98.1434, while for C7H14, the high-resolution m/z ratio is approximately 98.1868. Since these two m/z ratios are different, the compounds can be distinguished.

Step by step solution

01

Calculate the exact mass of each compound

In high-resolution mass spectrometry, the molecular masses are measured with higher accuracy (more decimal places). So, to compute exact masses, we'll need to use accurate atomic masses for carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O). Let's calculate the exact mass for each compound: For C6H10O, we use 6 atoms of carbon, 10 atoms of hydrogen, and 1 atom of oxygen: Exact mass = (6 * 12.011) + (10 * 1.00784) + (15.999) Exact mass = 72.066 + 10.0784 + 15.999 Exact mass ≈ 98.1434 For C7H14, we use 7 atoms of carbon and 14 atoms of hydrogen: Exact mass = (7 * 12.011) + (14 * 1.00784) Exact mass = 84.077 + 14.10976 Exact mass ≈ 98.1868
02

Compare the mass-to-charge (m/z) ratios

Now that we have the exact mass for each compound, we can compare their m/z ratios in high-resolution mass spectrometry to distinguish between them. Since their charge will be the same and not affect the comparison, we just consider their masses: For C6H10O, the high-resolution m/z ratio is approximately 98.1434. For C7H14, the high-resolution m/z ratio is approximately 98.1868. These two m/z ratios are different, and thus, these compounds can be distinguished by their m/z ratios in high-resolution mass spectrometry.

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