This document provides an overview of mass spectrometry. It begins with a brief introduction and history of mass spectrometry. It then discusses the basic principles, including how samples are ionized and the ions are separated based on their mass-to-charge ratio. Equations related to ion acceleration and separation in magnetic and electric fields are also presented. Diagrams of mass spectrometry instrumentation are shown and various ionization techniques such as electron ionization, chemical ionization, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization are described.