If a molecule is subjected to enough energy to break bonds, the molecule fragments into smaller pieces. These fragments provide structural information. Exposure to infrared light causes the bonds in a molecule to vibrate, but not break. Spectroscopy techniques analyze how radiation of a particular energy is altered by interaction with a molecule. The mass of the molecular ion is used to give the molecular weight of a sample. When irradiated with infrared light a molecule absorbs energy that will induce molecular vibrations, but this energy is not sufficient to break bonds. A hydrogen nucleus is a charged particle possessed of a property called “spin.” The NMR spectrum for an organic molecule is obtained by first dissolving the sample in a suitable solvent.