---
title: "Time-of-flight mass analyser: research glossary | Sable Peptides"
description: "A time-of-flight (TOF) mass analyser determines mass-to-charge ratio by measuring how long ions take to travel a fixed distance after acceleration by an el"
canonical: https://www.sablepeptides.co.uk/glossary/time-of-flight-mass-analyser
publisher: Sable Peptides Limited (UK company 17488610)
note: Research use only. Not for human or veterinary use.
---

Glossary

# Time-of-flight mass analyser

A time-of-flight (TOF) mass analyser determines mass-to-charge ratio by measuring how long ions take to travel a fixed distance after acceleration by an electric field. Lighter ions arrive sooner. TOF analysers offer wide mass range and high resolution and are often combined with MALDI or electrospray sources.

Source: [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-of-flight_mass_spectrometry)

## Related terms

-   [Resolution](/glossary/resolution)
-   [Mass-to-charge ratio](/glossary/mass-to-charge-ratio)
-   [MALDI](/glossary/maldi)

[Back to glossary A–Z](/glossary/terms)

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