Which multi-element technique presents a large number of ionized atoms to a mass spectrometer?

The technique that presents a large number of ionized atoms to a mass spectrometer is Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). This method is highly effective for multi-element analysis because it utilizes a plasma source to ionize the sample. In ICP-MS, a sample is nebulized and introduced into a high-temperature argon plasma, where the intense heat efficiently ionizes a substantial portion of the atoms present in the sample.

Once ionized, these atoms are then directed into the mass spectrometer for detection and quantification. The capability of ICP-MS to produce a high number of ions allows for the detection of trace elements at very low concentrations, making it a powerful technique in various fields, including environmental analysis, geology, and clinical studies.

Other techniques like Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) do allow for analysis of different compounds, but they do not generate ions in the same way or in as large quantities as ICP-MS does. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) focuses on molecular vibrations and is not based on mass spectrometry; therefore, it does not ionize atoms for detection in the same manner as ICP-MS. This demonstrates