Proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry

Imagine you are playing a game of tag with your friends. Your friend is the "it" person and they are trying to catch you. When they touch you, they tag you and you have to go to the sideline. Now, imagine that the "it" person has a special tool that can tell how fast you are running and what you had for lunch. This special tool is called proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry.

But how does it work?

You breathe in air all the time, right? Some of the air you breathe in has molecules in it that we can't see, but they are there! Let's pretend one of those molecules is called "mystery molecule".

Now, the proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry tool has a "charger" that can give the "mystery molecule" a positive charge. Just like when you touch a door knob and feel a little shock, the "mystery molecule" also feels a shock and it becomes positively charged.

Next, the "mystery molecule" goes through a tiny tube where it meets other charged molecules called "protons". The "protons" really like the positive charge on the "mystery molecule" and want to grab it! When the "protons" and "mystery molecule" grab onto each other, they become a new molecule called an "adduct".

But why is this important? The "adduct" molecule is heavier than the "mystery molecule" because it has more parts (the "proton" and the "mystery molecule"). This extra weight helps the proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry tool figure out what the "mystery molecule" was.

Finally, the "adduct" molecule goes into a special machine that can measure how heavy it is. This machine is like your friend who is "it" measuring how fast you were running in the game of tag! The machine can also break apart the "adduct" molecule to see what parts it was made of. And just like how your friend who was "it" could guess what you had for lunch based on what you were wearing, the proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry tool can guess what the "mystery molecule" was based on what parts were in the "adduct" molecule.

And there you have it, that's proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry! It's a tool that uses a "charger" and "protons" to figure out what tiny molecules are in the air you breathe. It's like a game of tag, but instead of trying to catch you, it's trying to catch "mystery molecules" and figure out what they are made of.