Reduced Mass Formula:
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Definition: Reduced mass is an inertial mass appearing in the two-body problem of Newtonian mechanics that simplifies the analysis of particle collisions.
Purpose: It helps in analyzing molecular collisions and reaction kinetics by providing an equivalent mass for the two-particle system.
The calculator uses the formula:
Where:
Details: Reduced mass is crucial for understanding collision dynamics, reaction rates, and energy transfer in molecular systems.
Tips: Enter all required parameters (number densities, cross section, collision frequency, and temperature). All values must be positive.
Q1: What is the physical meaning of reduced mass?
A: It represents the "effective" mass of a system of two particles when treated as a single object in their center-of-mass frame.
Q2: How does temperature affect reduced mass?
A: Higher temperatures increase the kinetic energy term in the calculation, potentially leading to higher reduced mass values.
Q3: What are typical values for collisional cross section?
A: Typical molecular collision cross sections range from 10⁻¹⁹ to 10⁻¹⁸ m², depending on molecular size.
Q4: Why is Boltzmann constant used here?
A: It relates the average kinetic energy of particles to the temperature, which is fundamental to collision dynamics.
Q5: Can this be used for identical particles?
A: Yes, when A and B are the same, the reduced mass simplifies to half the mass of one particle.