1. What is Reduced Mass?

The reduced mass (μ) is an effective inertial mass appearing in the two-body problem of Newtonian mechanics. It represents the "equivalent mass" of a system of two particles interacting with each other, commonly used in physics and chemistry for analyzing molecular vibrations and orbital mechanics.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the reduced mass formula:

Where:

• \( \mu \) — Reduced mass (kg)
• \( m1 \) — Mass of first object (kg)
• \( m2 \) — Mass of second object (kg)

Explanation: The formula calculates the equivalent mass that would experience the same relative acceleration as the two-body system.

3. Importance of Reduced Mass Calculation

Details: Reduced mass is crucial in analyzing:

• Molecular vibrations in spectroscopy
• Orbital mechanics of binary systems
• Collision dynamics in particle physics
• Vibrational modes in chemical bonds

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both masses in kilograms. The values must be positive numbers. The calculator will compute the reduced mass of the system.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What are typical applications of reduced mass?
A: Used in calculating vibrational frequencies of diatomic molecules, analyzing binary star systems, and solving two-body problems in classical mechanics.

Q2: How does reduced mass relate to center of mass?
A: While center of mass describes the balance point of a system, reduced mass describes the effective mass in relative motion between two bodies.

Q3: What happens when one mass is much larger than the other?
A: The reduced mass approaches the smaller mass (μ ≈ m2 when m1 ≫ m2).

Q4: Can reduced mass be used for more than two bodies?
A: The concept is specifically for two-body systems. More complex systems require different approaches.

Q5: Why is reduced mass important in spectroscopy?
A: The vibrational frequency of a diatomic molecule depends directly on its reduced mass.