Today we our first day at RTI working with the forensic science department. We started the day with a brief presentation on “Mass Spectrometry”, which is using a machine to identify drugs by separating them out of a substance by analyzing the unknown drug compound using its known molecular mass. We then got a tour of the labs and were able to actually use a mass spectrometer to identify certain drugs. We were able to identify drugs such as cocaine and codeine.

Jonathan pipetting a solution containing an unknown drug onto a transfer sheet to place into the mass spectrometer:

Then, we were able to go and use a very powerful microscope that was able to zoom in on individual molecules so that we could analyze their crystal lattice structures.

Me using the microscope to examine grains of salt (NaCl):

The enlarged grains of salt on a computer screen:

Overall today was a pretty interesting day and I got to learn some neat things about chemistry that I didn’t even learn in my ADV Chemistry class this year! – Kiran W.