Mass spectrometry is a technique used for structural elucidation, molecular mass determination, and compound identification. It works by ionizing molecule fragments and separating the ions based on their mass-to-charge ratios. The key components are the ion source, mass analyzer, and ion detector. Common ionization methods include electron impact, chemical ionization, electrospray, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization. Popular mass analyzers are quadrupoles, time-of-flight, and ion traps. Mass spectrometry has wide applications in fields like pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, polymers, and biomedicine.