Working mass Working mass Working mass, also referred to as reaction mass, is a mass against which a system operates in order to produce acceleration. In the case of a rocket, for example, the reaction mass is the fuel shot backwards to provide propulsion. All acceleration requires an exchange of momentum, which can be thought of as the "unit of movement". Momentum is related to mass and velocity, as given by the formula "P = mv," where "P" is the momentum, "m" the mass, and "v" the velocity. The velocity of a body is easily changeable, but in most cases the mass
Mass in special relativity derived form formula_44 is not valid because formula_45 in formula_46 is generally not a constant (see the section above on transverse and longitudinal mass). Even though Einstein initially used the expressions "longitudinal" and "transverse" mass in two papers (see previous section), in his first paper on formula_47 (1905) he treated "m" as what would now be called the "rest mass". Einstein never derived an equation for "relativistic mass", and in later years he expressed his dislike of the idea: Okun and followers reject the concept of relativistic mass. Also Arnold B. Arons has argued against teaching the concept of relativistic