General Physics Week 1 – 9 Formula

Week 1 – Vectors

The resultant displacement VR, is the sum of vectors V1 and V2, that is we write

VR = V1 + V2 + … + Vn This is a vector equation.

Basic Vector Addition, R(resultant) = A + B

Basic Vector Subtraction, R(resultant) = A - B = A + (-B)
Component Method
Derived Equations:
Ax = A cos θ Rx = Ax + Bx + Cx + ........ θ = tan - Ry
Ay = A sin θ Ry = Ay + By + Cy + ........ Rx
R2 = Rx2 + Ry2

Condition: The angle theta(θ) must be measured coming from the East(+x-axis).(Counter Clockwise)

First Step – Plot the given vector on the rectangular cartesian plane and determine the angle theta measured
from East or +x – axis by measuring the angle counter clockwise.
Second Step – Solve for the x and y-components of each vector.
Third step – Solve for the summation of x (Rx) and y (Ry) components and the magnitude of resultant vector
(R).

Week 2 – Uniformly Accelerated Motion and Free-Fall Motion

Uniformly Acceleration Motion Formula:

𝐝
𝐯=
𝐭
𝐯𝐟 − 𝐯𝐢
𝐯𝐚𝐯𝐞 =
𝟐
𝐯𝐟 − 𝐯𝐢
𝐚=
𝐭
𝐯𝐟 = 𝐯𝐢 + 𝐚𝐭
𝐯𝐟 − 𝐯𝐢
𝐝=( )𝐭
𝟐
𝐚𝐭 𝟐
𝐝 = 𝐯𝐢 𝐭 +
𝟐
𝐯𝐟 = √𝐯𝐢 𝟐 + 𝟐𝐚𝐝

Free-Fall Motion Formula:

𝐠𝐭 𝟐
𝐝 = 𝐯𝐢 𝐭 +
𝟐
𝐯𝐟 = 𝐯𝐢 + 𝐠𝐭
𝐯𝐟 = √𝐯𝐢 𝟐 + 𝟐𝐠𝐝
1st Condition (downward motion) 2nd Condition (upward and downward motion)
Equations: Equations:
V2 = gt V2 = V1 – gt
H = 1/2gt2 H = V1 t – 1/2gt2
𝐕 (𝐯𝐟 −𝐯𝐢 )(𝐭)
H = ( 𝟐𝟐 ) (𝐭) H= 𝟐
2
V2 = 2gH V2 = V1 2 – 2gH
2

Week 3 – Projectile Motion and Circular Motion

Projectile Motion:

1st Condition/Projectile A (downward motion)

V1x
Ɵ
V1
V1y = 0

V2x
Horizontal Motion:(a = o) Ɵ

Velocity V2
V1x = V1 cos θ = V2x V2y

Displacement
R= V1x(t) = V1 cos θ (t)

Vertical Motion:(a = g = 9.8 m/s2)

Velocity
V1y = 0
V2y2 = 2gH
V2y = g(t)

Displacement
𝟏
H = 𝟐 gt2
𝐯𝟐𝐲𝟐
H= 𝟐𝐠

Combination:
R = V1cos θ (2H/g)1/2
2nd Condition/Projectile B (upward and downward motion)

V2= 0

Hmax
V1y
V1

Ɵ
V2x
V1x R and Rmax Ɵ

V2y V2
Horizontal Motion:(a = g = 9.8 m/s2)

Velocity
V1x = V1 cos θ = V2x

Displacement
𝐕𝟏 𝟐 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝛉
R = V1x(t) = 𝐠
𝐕𝟏 𝟐
Rmax = 𝐠

Vertical Motion:(a = g = 9.8 m/s2)

Velocity
V1y = V1 sin θ
V2y = V1 sin θ – g(t)
V2y2 = (V1 sin θ)2 – 2gh

Displacement
𝟏
H = V1 sin θ(t) – 𝟐 gt2
(𝐕𝟏 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝛉)𝟐
Hmax = 𝟐𝐠

Time

Time rise/Time fall

𝐕𝟏 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝛉
t= 𝐠

Time of flight
𝟐𝐕𝟏 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝛉
t=
𝐠
Circular Motion:

Period (T) 𝟏
𝐓=
𝐟
Frequency (f) 𝟏
𝐟=
𝐓
Tangential Velocity or Speed (v) 𝟐𝛑𝐫
𝐯=
𝐓
Centripetal Acceleration (ac) 𝟐
𝐯
𝐚𝐜 = or 𝐚𝐜 = 𝛚𝟐 𝐫
𝐫
Centripetal Force (Fc) 𝐦𝐯 𝟐
𝐅𝐜 =
𝐫

Week 4 – Newton’s Law of Motion

Formula for the Second Law of Motion:

𝐅 = 𝐦𝐚

Where:
F = force measured in Newton (N)
m = mass measured in kilograms (kg)
a = acceleration measured in (m/s 2 )

Static Friction Formula:

𝐟𝐬 = 𝐅𝐍 × 𝛍𝐬

Where:
fs = static force measured in Newton (N)
FN = normal force measured in Newton (N)
μs = coefficient of static friction

Kinetic Friction Formula:

𝐟𝐤 = 𝐅𝐍 × 𝛍𝐤

Where:
fk = kinetic force measured in Newton (N)
FN = normal force measured in Newton (N)
μk = coefficient of kinetic friction

Week 5 – Newton’s Free Body Diagram

First Case:

∑ 𝐅𝐲 = +𝐅𝐧 − 𝐖
𝐖 = 𝐅𝐧
𝟎 = +𝐅𝐧 − 𝐖
𝟎=𝟎
𝐖 = 𝐦𝐠 = 𝐅𝐧
Second Case:

Derivation of equations in both x and y directions.

y – direction x – direction
∑ 𝐅𝐲 = 𝐅𝐧 − 𝐖 ∑ 𝐅𝐱 = 𝐅 − 𝐅𝐬
𝐦𝐚𝐲 = 𝐅𝐧 − 𝐖 𝐦𝐚𝐱 = 𝐅 − 𝐅𝐬
𝐅𝐧 = 𝐦 𝐠 → Normal Force 𝐅𝐬 = 𝛍𝐬 𝐅𝐧 → Static Friction
=𝟎
*Note: μs = constant

Third Case:

In getting T:
𝐓𝐱 = 𝐓𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝛉
𝐓𝐲 = 𝐓𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝛉

𝐓 = √𝐓𝐱 𝟐 + 𝐓𝐲 𝟐

Derivation of equations in both x and y directions.

y – direction x – direction
∑ 𝐅𝐲 = 𝐅𝐧 + 𝐓𝐲 − 𝐖 𝐅𝐤 = 𝛍𝐤 𝐅𝐧 → 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
*If the object is moving in a constant speed, you
𝟎 = 𝐅𝐧 + 𝐓𝐲 − 𝐖 may use this equation.
𝐅𝐧 = 𝐖 − 𝐓𝐲 → Normal Force
𝐓𝐲 = 𝐦𝟐 𝐠 − 𝐓𝐱
∑ 𝐅𝐱 = 𝐓𝐱 − 𝐅𝐤
𝐓𝐱 = 𝐅𝐤
*If the object is not moving in a constant speed, you
may use this equation.

∑ 𝐅𝐱 = 𝐓𝐱 − 𝐅𝐤
𝐦𝐚 = 𝐓𝐱 − 𝐅𝐤
𝐦𝐚 = 𝐓𝐱 − (𝛍𝐤 𝐅𝐧 )

*Note: μs = constant

Week 6 – Work, Power and Energy

Work Formula:
𝐖=𝐦 ×𝐠 × 𝐡
𝐖= 𝐅∙𝐝
𝐖 = 𝐅 ∙ 𝐝 ∙ 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝛉

The Joule is the unit of work.

1 Joule = 1 Newton * 1 meter
1J=1N*1m

Power Formula:
𝐖
𝐏=
𝐭
Where:
P = power measured in watts (W)
W = work measured in Joule (J)
t = time measured in seconds (s)
* 1 watt is the power to do 1 J of work in 1 s

Energy Formula:
Potential Energy = 𝐏𝐄𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐯 = 𝐦 × 𝐠 × 𝐡
𝟏
Kinetic Energy = 𝐊𝐄 = 𝟐 𝐦𝐯 𝟐

Week 7 – Potential Energy and Law of Conservation of Energy

Potential Energy or Gravitational Potential Energy Formula:

𝐏𝐄𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐯 = 𝐦 × 𝐠 × 𝐡

Where:
PEgrav = Gravitational Potential Energy (J)
m = mass (kg)
g = gravity (9.8 m/s2)
h = height (m)

Elastic Potential Energy Formula:

𝟏
𝐏𝐄(𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠) = 𝐤𝐱 𝟐
𝟐

Where:
PE(spring) = Spring Potential Energy (J)
k = spring constant
x = amount of compression (relative to equilibrium position)

Electric Potential Energy Formula:

𝐮
𝐯=
𝐪

Where:
v = Electric Potential
u = Electric Potential Energy
q = Test Charge

Equation of Law of Conservation of Energy:

𝐊 𝟏 + 𝐔𝟏 = 𝐊 𝟐 + 𝐔𝟐

Where:
K1 = initial kinetic energy
U1 = initial potential energy
K2 = final kinetic energy
U2 = final potential energy

𝐏𝐄𝟏 + 𝐊𝐄𝟏 = 𝐏𝐄𝟐 + 𝐊𝐄𝟐

𝟏 𝟏
𝐦𝐠𝐡𝟏 + 𝐦𝐯𝟏 𝟐 = 𝐦𝐠𝐡𝟐 + 𝐦𝐯𝟐 𝟐
𝟐 𝟐
Week 8 – Momentum, Impulse and Collision

Momentum Formula:
𝐩=𝐦∙𝐯

Where:
p = momentum measured in kg.m/s
m = mass
v = speed

Impulse Formula:
𝐉 = 𝐅 ∙ ∆𝐭

Where:
J = impulse measured in N.s
F = force measured in Newton (N)
t = time measured in seconds (s)

More generally, of the time interval during which the force acts is from t1 to t2, then impulse is defined as
𝐉 = 𝐅 ∙ (𝐭 𝟐 − 𝐭 𝟏 )

Impulse is also a change in momentum. Therefore, J = ∆p or Ft = m(Vf − Vi ). Always in the direction of the
force.

Equation of Conservation of Momentum:

𝐦𝟏 𝐯𝟏 + 𝐦𝟐 𝐯𝟐 = 𝐦𝟏 𝐯𝟏 + 𝐦𝟐 𝐯𝟐

Where:
m1 v1 + m2 v2 = masses and velocities of interacting bodies before impact
m1 v1 + m2 v2 = masses and velocities of interacting bodies after impact

Collision Formula:
Elastic Collision = 𝐦𝟏 𝐯𝟏 + 𝐦𝟐 𝐯𝟐 = 𝐦𝟏 𝐯𝟏 ′ + 𝐦𝟐 𝐯𝟐 ′
Inelastic Collision = 𝐦𝟏 𝐯𝟏 + 𝐦𝟐 𝐯𝟐 = (𝐦𝟏 + 𝐦𝟐 )𝐯𝟐 ′

Week 9 – Rotational Equilibrium and Rotational Dynamics

Moment of Inertia Formula:

𝐈 = 𝐦𝐫 𝟐

Where:
I = moment of inertia measured in kg.m2
m = mass measured in kg
r = distance measured in m

*If the body is considered to be made up of tiny masses m 1, m2, m3, …, at a respective distance r1, r2, r3, …,
from an axis, its moment of inertia about axis is;
𝐈 = 𝐦𝟏 𝐫𝟏 𝟐 + 𝐦𝟐 𝐫𝟐 𝟐 + 𝐦𝟑 𝐫𝟑 𝟐 + ⋯ = ∑ 𝐦 𝐫 𝟐

Angular Position Formula:

𝐬
𝛉=
𝐫
Where:
Θ = the angular position
s or I = the length of arc along a circle
r = the radius of the circle

*The SI unit for the angular position is radian. But take note that one revolution in a circle equals 2π radians
or 360°.
𝟏 𝐫𝐞𝐯 = 𝟑𝟔𝟎° = 𝟐𝛑 𝐫𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝟏 𝐫𝐚𝐝 = 𝟓𝟕. 𝟑°

Angular Displacement Formula:

∆𝛉 = 𝛉𝟏 − 𝛉𝟐

Where:
∆θ = angular displacement
Θ1 = the initial angular position
Θ2 = the final angular position

Angular Velocity Formula:

𝛉 𝛉 −𝛉
𝛚 = 𝐭 or 𝛚 = 𝐭𝐟 −𝐭 𝐢
𝐟 𝐢

Where:
rad
ω = angular velocity ( s )
θ = angular displacement (rad)
t = time (s)

*This formula can also be used to determine the magnitude of angular displacement upon manipulation
𝛉 = 𝛚𝐭

Angular Acceleration Formula:

𝛚 − 𝛚𝟎
∝=
𝐭

Where:
rad
∝ = angular acceleration ( s2 )
ω – ω0 = angular velocity change
t = time

Torque Formula:
𝛕 = 𝐫𝐅 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝛉

Where:
τ = Torque measured in J
r = the radial distance from the axis to the point of the force (m)
θ = the acute angle between the lines of – action of r and F
F = the force measured in N

*Torque can also be computed given the lever arm. The lever arm is the perpendicular distance from the
axis of rotation to the line along which the force acts. Because the level arm is simple 𝑟𝐹 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃, the Torque
becomes;
𝛕 = 𝐅𝐥