[xtheunknown0]

I'm reading the textbook's discussion of how mass spectroscopy works and I don't really get it. What concepts should I review or learn first, before re-reading the section?

TIA,
xtheunknown0

[azmanam]

first (and commonly misunderstood) it's called mass spectrometry.  NMR, IR, UV/Vis are all spectroscopy, but MS is spectrometry.  It has to do with the energizing source.  NMR, IR, ad UV/Vis all use electromagnetic energy (light waves of various frequency) to energize the sample.  MS uses electric current to energize the sample.  When the electromagnetic spectrum is used, it's called spectroscopy.  When an electric current is used, it's called spectrometry.

Second, start here, at two very good references:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/mass-spectrometry.htm/printable
http://www2.chemistry.msu.edu/faculty/reusch/VirtTxtJml/Spectrpy/MassSpec/masspec1.htm#ms1

[Honclbrif]

Are you having trouble with ionization, how the masses are separated, or how the ions fragment?