Enter the mass of two different objects to calculate the reduced mass equivalent of those two objects.

## Reduced Mass Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the reduced mass equivalent of two separate masses.

M = m₁ * m₂ / (m₁ + m₂)
• Where M is the reduced mass
• m1 is the mass of object 1
• m2 is the mass of object 2

To calculate the reduced mass, multiply the masses, then divide by their sum.

## Reduced Mass Definition

The reduced mass of two objects is a way to simplify a physics problem of two masses using one mass instead. As is shown by the equation above, this value is simply a ratio of the products of the masses to the sums of the masses.

## How to calculate the reduced mass?

How to calculate a reduced mass

1. First, measure the mass of object 1

Using a scale or formula, determine the mass of object 1.

2. Next, measure the mass of object 2

Using a scale or formula, determine the mass of object 2.

3. Calculate the reduced mass

Enter mass 1 and mass 2 into the formula above to calculate the reduced mass.

## FAQ

What is a reduced mass?

A reduced mass is a ratio of the products of two different masses used to simply physics problems.