Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry argon ions. Making the plasma from argon, instead of other gases, has several advantages. First, argon is abundant (in the atmosphere, as a result of the radioactive decay of potassium) and therefore cheaper than other noble gases. Argon also has a higher first ionization potential than all other elements except He, F, and Ne. Because of this high ionization energy, the reaction (Ar + e → Ar) is more energetically favorable than the reaction (M + e → M). This ensures that the sample remains ionized (as M) so that the mass spectrometer can detect it. Argon can be purchased
Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style book was immensely popular in England and in Europe, at least 85 editions of the book were printed in Erasmus' own lifetime, and countless more after that. Erasmus made three separate revisions to the original text, adding chapters each time. The original 1512 edition contained 153 chapters, which swelled to 206 in the final version that Erasmus completed before his death. Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style () is a rhetoric textbook written by Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus, and first published in 1512. It was a best-seller widely used for teaching how to rewrite