AssayIndex
Mass spectrometry

Charge state (z)

The number of protons carried by an ion. Observed m/z = (M + z × 1.007276)/z. Two adjacent charge states determine z without assumption.

Related terms

Deconvolution
Recovering a neutral mass from a set of observed m/z values across charge states. Self-checking: two charge states give two independent estimates.
Charge-state envelope
The distribution of intensities across charge states. Its shape carries conformational information: compact molecules ionise at lower charge.

Where this term appears

The glossary exists to make record pages readable without a chemistry degree. Every technical term on a report resolves here.