Variable-mass system the momentum of the system varies for Therefore, by Newton's second law Noting that u - v is the velocity of d"m" relative to "m", symbolized as v, this final equation can be arranged as In a system where mass is being ejected or ablated from a main body, the derivation is slightly different. At time "t", let a mass "m" travel at a velocity v, meaning the initial momentum of the system is Since the main body will be losing mass, d"m" will be negative, meaning that at a time "t" + d"t" the momentum of the system becomes
Composition of the human body mass of the human body is made up of six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. Only about 0.85% is composed of another five elements: potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium. All 11 are necessary for life. The remaining elements are trace elements, of which more than a dozen are thought on the basis of good evidence to be necessary for life. All of the mass of the trace elements put together (less than 10 grams for a human body) do not add up to the body mass of magnesium, the least common of the 11 non-trace elements.