Jelly Beans and Mass Spectrometry for K--4 Students.

The author discusses some simple analogies to describe gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to an elementary-school student audience using jelly beans. In explaining MS-ionization, he states the concept of isotopes can be introduced with the use of a different number of black jelly beans as neutrons. In explaining MS-mass analysis, he represents jelly beans as atoms of elements, and explains that each elements has a different mass analyzer in the MS.