Physics Formulae & Equations

(Compi l ed speci al ly f or CSEC students)

1 | P a g e r e t h i n k p h y s i c s . b l o g s p o t . c o m

For mulae/ Equations

Symbols & Units
D ensi ty, p =
m
:

Rel ative D ensi ty,
p

=
p
substuncc
p
wutc
,
p = densi ty, kgm
-3
p

= rel ative densi ty, [di mensi onl ess]

m = mass, kg
: = volume, m
3


Moment or Torque i s the
rotati onal or turni ng ef f ect that a
f orce produces. I = FJ
I = moment/ torque, N m
N ot e t hat M oment or T or que i s N OT E ner gy and
cannot be used wi t h t he Joul e (J).
F = f orce, N
J = di stance (perpendi cul ar f r. pivot to F ), m


H ookes Law states that Force i s
proporti onal to the extensi on of
spri ng or el asti c material
provi ded the el asti c l i mi t i s not
exceeded. F x

F = f orce, kgms
-2
N
s or x = di spl acement/ extensi on, m

N ewtoni an Laws:
1
st
Law - T he L aw of I ner ti a
2
nd
Law - F o
F =
m( : u)
t

F = mo
3
rd
Law - A cti on = Reacti on

o:c. : =
u + :
2

J =
u + :
2
t
: = u + ot
s = ut +
1
2
ot
2


F = f orce, kgms
-2
N
m = mass, kg
o = accel erati on, ms
-2
: = (f i nal ) vel oci ty, ms
-1
u = (i ni ti al ) vel oci ty, ms
-1
t = ti me, s
J = di stance, m
s or x = di spl acement, m

Li near Momentum, p = m:
Conser vati on of M oment um,
p
totuI
bef ore = p
totuI
af ter

Col l i si on of A and B,
m
A
u
A
+ m
B
u
B
= ( m
A
+ m
B
) :

Repul si on of A and B,
m
A
:
A
= m
B
:
B


I mpul se, I = Ft
p = momentum, kgms
-1
N ot e t hat kgms
-1
kgms
-2

m = mass, kg
m
A
= mass of A, kg
m
B
= mass of B, kg
: = (f i nal ) vel oci ty, ms
-1
u
A
= pre-col l i si on vel oci ty of A, ms
-1
u
B
= pre-col l i si on vel oci ty of B, ms
-1
:
A
= post-col l i si on vel oci ty of A, ms
-1
:
B
= post-col l i si on vel oci ty of B, ms
-1
F = f orce, kgms
-2
N
I = i mpulse, N s kgms
-1

t = ti me, s


Physics Formulae & Equations
(Compi l ed speci al ly f or CSEC students)


2 | P a g e r e t h i n k p h y s i c s . b l o g s p o t . c o m

For mulae/ Equations

Symbols & Units
Energy
W or k , w = Fs

Ki net i c E ner gy, E
k
=
1
2
m:
2


(G r avi t at i onal ) Pot ent i al E ner gy,
E
p
= mg

Power , P =
E
t
,






w = work, N m J
F = f orce (i n the di r. of moti on), kgms
-2
N
s = di spl acement, m
E
k
= ki neti c energy, J
E
p
= (gravi tati onal ) potenti al energy, J
m = mass, kg
: = vel oci ty, ms
-1
g = gravi tati onal f i el d strength, ms
-2
= hei ght, m
t = ti me, s


Ef f i ci ency
p =
E
out
E
n
, 100
p = [di mensi onl ess] (can be expressed as sol el y
as a number or a percentage when that number
i s mul ti pli ed by 100).
E
out
= energy output, J
E
n
= energy i nput, J


Pressure
P =
F
A
,
P = pg (i n f l ui ds)

P = pressure, N m
-2
Pa
A = area, m
2

p = densi ty, kgm
-3

g = accel erati on of f ree f al l , ms
-2
= change i n hei ght, m


Archi medes Pri nci pl e
U pt hr ust (U )= T r ue W ei ght of Body
(W 1) A ppar ent W ei ght of Body
(W 2)

U pt hr ust (U )= A ppar ent W ei ght
L oss of Body (W )

U pt hr ust (U )= W ei ght of F l ui d
di spl aced by Body (W )

U = upthrust, N
W = wei ght, N



Gas Laws
Boyl e s L aw, PI = k
1


Char l es L aw,
I
I
, = k
2


Pr essur e L aw,
P
I
, = k
3


G ener al G as L aw or Combi ned Gas
E quati on,
PI
I
, = constont



P = pressure, N m
-2
Pa
I = volume, m
3
I = temperature, K
k
1
, k
2
, k
3
= constants

Physics Formulae & Equations
(Compi l ed speci al ly f or CSEC students)


3 | P a g e r e t h i n k p h y s i c s . b l o g s p o t . c o m

For mulae/ Equations

Symbols & Units
H eat Capaci ty, C = mc

H eat Energy,
E
H
= mc0
E
H
= ml
]

E
H
= ml

C = heat capaci ty, JK
-1
c = speci f i c heat capaci ty, Jkg
-1
K
-1
E
H
or = heat/ thermal energy, J
0 (del ta theta)= change i n temperature, K
l
]
= speci f i c latent heat of f usi on, Jkg
-1
l

= speci f i c latent heat of vapouri zati on, Jkg

-1


Wave Formul ae
: =
J
t
,
: = z
=
1
I
, , I =
1

,

Refl ect i on, 0

= 0

Refr act i on, (Snel l s L aw)

sIn 0
1
sIn 0
2
=

1

2
=
x
1
x
2
= n

Cr i t i cal A ngl e i s the angl e of
i nci dence of a wave when the
angl e of ref racti on i s 90,
sin0
c
=
n
1
n
2


L ens M agni fi cat i on
=
imogc sizc
ob]cct sizc
=
imogc Jistoncc ( :)
ob]cct Jistoncc ( u)

: = vel oci ty, ms
-1
:
1
= vel oci ty of i nci dent wave, ms
-1

:
2
= vel oci ty of ref racted wave, ms
-1

t = ti me, s
I = peri od, s
= f requency, s
-1
Hz
J = di stance, m
z = wavel ength, m
z
1
= wavel ength of i nci dent wave, m
z
2
= wavel ength of ref racted wave, m
0

= angl e of i nci dent wave,

0

= angl e of ref l ecti on,

0
1
= angl e of i nci dence,
0
2
= angl e of ref racti on,
0
c
= cri ti cal angl e,
n = ref racti ve i ndex, [di mensi onl ess]
n
1
= ref racti ve i ndex of f i rst medi um,
[di mensi onl ess]
n
2
= ref racti ve i ndex of second medi um,
[di mensi onl ess]


El ectri ci ty
I = IR
P = II
P =
E
t
,
= It


R =
I
I
,
P = I
2
R
E = Pt
I =
E

,

I = volt age/ pot ent ial dif f erence/
elect romot ive f orce (e.m.f .), V
I = current , A
R = resistance, (Ohm)
P = power, Js
-1
W
E = energy, J
t = ti me, s
Q = quanti ty of charge, As C









I n Seri es:
R
totuI
= R
1
+ R
2
+ R
3
+ . ..

I n Paral l el :
1
R
totuI
=
1
R
1
+
1
R
2
+
1
R
3
+







Physics Formulae & Equations
(Compi l ed speci al ly f or CSEC students)


4 | P a g e r e t h i n k p h y s i c s . b l o g s p o t . c o m

For mulae/ Equations

Symbols & Units
I deal Transf ormer
P
n=
P
out


I
s
I
p
=
N
s
N
p
=
I
p
I
s





P
n
= power i nput, W
P
out
= power output, W
I
s
= volt age (secondary coil), V
I
p
= volt age (primary coil), V
N
s
= number of t urns (secondary coil), no
unit s
N
p
= number of t urns (primary coil), no unit s
I
p
= current (primary coil), A
I
s
= current (secondary coil), A


Atomi c Physi cs
Par t i cl e Rel at i onshi p, A = Z + N
A t omi c Repr esent at i on, X
z
A

A l pha Par ti cl e, o
Bet a Par ti cl e,[
G amma E mi ssi on, y
H al f L i fe, I
1 2
- ti me taken f or
hal f of the atoms i n a radi ati ng
substance to decay.
E i nst ei n s E quat i on descri bi ng
nucl ear f usi on and f i ssi on.
E = mc
2

A = nucl eon (mass) number
Z = proton (atomi c) number
N = neutron number
X = representi ng atom
o = Ec
2
4
(H el i um Parti cl e)
[ = c
-1
0
(El ectron)
y = Gamma Radiati on
E = Energy, J
m = mass, kg
c = speed of el ect r omagneti c waves (i ncl . l i ght )


Abbreviations:
f r. f rom
di r. di recti on
i ncl . i ncl udi ng