Reduced Mass - Equation

Equation

Given two bodies, one with mass m1 and the other with mass m2, the equivalent one-body problem, with the position of one body with respect to the other as the unknown, is that of a single body of mass

where the force on this mass is given by the force between the two bodies. The (mathematical) replacement of masses, stated above is as follows: for the particle of interest, its mass becomes the reduced mass

and for the other particle, its mass becomes

Read more about this topic:  Reduced Mass

Famous quotes containing the word equation:

    Jail sentences have many functions, but one is surely to send a message about what our society abhors and what it values. This week, the equation was twofold: female infidelity twice as bad as male abuse, the life of a woman half as valuable as that of a man. The killing of the woman taken in adultery has a long history and survives today in many cultures. One of those is our own.
    Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)

    A nation fights well in proportion to the amount of men and materials it has. And the other equation is that the individual soldier in that army is a more effective soldier the poorer his standard of living has been in the past.
    Norman Mailer (b. 1923)