In physics, the reduced mass is the "effective" inertial mass appearing in the two-body problem of Newtonian mechanics. This is a quantity which allows the two-body problem to be solved as if it were a one-body problem. Note however that the mass determining the gravitational force is not reduced. In the computation one mass can be replaced by the reduced mass, if this is compensated by replacing the other mass by the sum of both masses. The reduced mass is frequently denoted by (Greek lower case mu); note however that the standard gravitational parameter is also denoted by . It has the dimensions of mass, and SI unit kg.
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Famous quotes containing the words reduced and/or mass:
“The physicians say, they are not materialists; but they are:MSpirit is matter reduced to an extreme thinness: O so thin!—But the definition of spiritual should be, that which is its own evidence. What notions do they attach to love! what to religion! One would not willingly pronounce these words in their hearing, and give them the occasion to profane them.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
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