If the total mass of a binary system is known, what second relationship is necessary to determine the individual masses ($M_1$ and $M_2$)?
Answer
The mass ratio derived from the distances of each star to the barycenter ($a_1/a_2 = M_2/M_1$).
To split the total mass, astronomers must use the relationship derived from the barycenter, which shows the distances from the barycenter ($a_1, a_2$) are inversely proportional to the masses ($M_2/M_1$).
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