Physics GRE Equations Sheet

Version 1.0
Contact: Taylor@PhysicsGrad.com
Contents
1 Classical Mechanics 1
2 Electricity & Magnetism 3
3 Optics 4
4 Thermodynamics & Statistical Mechanics 5
5 Quantum Mechanics 7
6 Special Relativity 8
7 Electronics 9
8 Special Topics 10
1 Classical Mechanics
Equations
Kinematics:
x = v
0
t +
1
2
at
2
v
2
= v
2
0
+ 2ad
v = +at
x =
v
0
+v
f
2
t
Newtons Second Law:
F = ma
Momentum:
P = mv
Centripetal Acceleration:
a
c
=
2
r
F = mr
2
=
2
T
1
1 CLASSICAL MECHANICS
Gravitational Potential Energy:
U = mgh
U = G
m
1
m
2
R
U = W
Kinetic Energy:
U
k
=
1
2
mv
2
U
k
=
p
2
2m
U
krotational
=
1
2
I
2
Parallel Axis Theorem:
I = I
com
+Mh
2
Work:
W =
_
F s
Moment of Inertia (Point Mass):
I = MR
2
Schwarzschild Radius:
R
e
=
2GM
c
2
Lagrangian:
L = T V
Hamiltonian:
H = T +V
Angular Frequency:
=
2
T

SHO
=

k
m
Period of a SHO:
T = 2
_
m
k
2
2 ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM
2 Electricity & Magnetism
Equations
Maxwells Equations:

E =

B = 0

E =

B
t

B =
0

J +
0

E
t
Coulombs Law:
U =
1
4
0
dQ
R
U =
1
4
0
q
1
q
2
R
F =
1
4
0
q
1
q
2
R
2
Hookes Law:
F = kx
Faradays Law of Induction
|| = N

d
B
dt

Magnetic Flux:

B
=
_ _
S

B(r, t) dA
Malus Law:
I =
1
2
c
0
E
2
0
cos
2
()
Gauss Law:

E d

A =
q

0
Larmor Formula:
P =
q
2
a
2
6
0
c
3
Lorentz Force:
F = q
_
v

B
_
Hall Voltage:
V
H
=
IB
dne
3
3 OPTICS
3 Optics
Equations
Photoelectric Equation:
U
k
= h
Snells Law:
sin(
1
)
sin(
2
)
=
n
2
n
1
n-slit constructive interference:
d sin(
n
) = n
n-slit destructive interference:
d sin(
n
) =
_
n +
1
2
_

Photon Energy:
E = h
E =
hc

Interference of a thin lm:

2nd =
_
m+
1
2
_

Light speed through a medium:

v =
1

Traveling wave:
y(x, t) = Asin
_
2

_
(x vt)
Drift velocity:
v
d
=
i
nqA
Compton Equation:

=
h
m
p
c
(1 cos())
4
4 THERMODYNAMICS & STATISTICAL MECHANICS
4 Thermodynamics & Statistical Mechanics
Equations
Rydberg Formula:
1

= R

_
1
n
2
1

1
n
2
2
_
Rydberg Formula for Hydrogen like atoms:
1

Hlike
= RZ
2
_
1
n
2
1

1
n
2
2
_
Moseleys Law:
1

K
= R(Z )
2
_
1
n
2
1

1
n
2
2
_
Rydberg Energy:
E =
m
e
e
4
2h
2
Z
2
n
2
E = E
0
_
1

2
1

2
_
E = n(13.6 eV )
_
1

2
1

2
2
_
Heat Capacity:
C =
Q
T
C =
Q
T
C = T
S
T
C
V
=
_
Q
T
_
V
=
_
U
T
_
V
C
p
=
_
Q
T
_
p
=
_
H
T
_
p
Heat:
Q = cmT
First Law of Thermodynamics:
dU = dQ+dW
dU = dQPdV
Ideal Gas Law:
pV = nRT
Thermodynamic Work:
W =
_
V
f
V
i
PdV
5
4 THERMODYNAMICS & STATISTICAL MECHANICS
Entropy:
S =
_
T
2
T
1
dq
T
Fouriers Law of Heat Conduction:
Q
t
= k
_
s
T d

A
Mean free path:
P(x) = ndx
Stefan-Boltzmanns Law:
j

= T
4
6
5 QUANTUM MECHANICS
5 Quantum Mechanics
Equations
Particle Location (Probability):
P
ab
=
_
b
a
|(x)|
2
dx
Innite Square Well/Particle in a box:

n
(x, t) = Asin(k
n
x)e
i
n
t
Planck Length:
l
p
=

Gh
c
3
Expectation Value:
A =
_
|A|
Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle:
xp
h
2
Spin Operator:
S
2
1

1
= S
1
(S
1
+ 1)
1
Probability Current:

J(x, t) =
h
2mi
_

x

_
Quantum Harmonic Oscillator
E
n
= h
_
n +
1
2
_
Wave Speed (de Broglie relations):
v
p
=
E
p
v
p
=
c
2
v
Time-Independent Schrodinger Equation:
E (x) =
h
2
2m

2
(x) +V (x) (x)
7
6 SPECIAL RELATIVITY
6 Special Relativity
Equations
Rest Energy:
E = m
0
c
2
Lorentz Factor:
=
1
_
1
v
2
c
2
Relativistic Energy:
E
R
= mc
2
Relativistic Momentum:
p
rel
= m
0
v =
m
0
v
_
1
v
2
c
2
Relativistic Energy-Momentum:
E
2
=
_
mc
2
_
2
+ (pc)
2
Relativistic sum of velocities:
u

=
u +v
1 +
vu
c
2
u =
u

+v

1 +
v

c
2
Proper Time:

2
= t
2
x
2
t
2
=
2
+ x
2
Space-Time Interval:
S
2
= (Ct)
2
+ x
2
8
7 ELECTRONICS
7 Electronics
Equations
Ohms Law:
V = IR
Kirchos First Law:
n

k=1
I = 0
Kirchos Second Law:
n

k=1
V = 0
Current:
i =
dq
dt
Faradays law of induction:
=

d
B
dt

Capacitance
C =
Q
V
Frequency of an RLC Circuit
f =
1
4

LC
9
8 SPECIAL TOPICS
8 Special Topics
Equations
Acoustic Beats:
beats = |f
2
f
1
|
Doppler Eect:
f =
_
1
1
v
s
ource
v
w
ave
_
f
0
10