... means of comparing the masses of different particles. By generating positively charged particles with an ionisation chamber and then deflecting them with a magnetic field, you can calculate the mass of the particle by changing the strength of the magnet and then detecting whether the particle has been deflected by the expected amount or not. The size of the deflection depends both on the mass and the charge. The next crucial stage in the discovery of Buckminsterfullerene was when physicists Huffman and Kratschmer found a way of making the molecule in large quantities. It was known that anyone who had been heating up graphite electrically under similar conditions, were making the new substance all the time, and didn't know. This lead to them producing a soot which contained around 10% of C60 and a small amount of C70. This was detected using the UV absorption spectrum, which measures the amount of UV light ...

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