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Physics Formulas

Key equations in mechanics, waves, electricity and thermal physics.

93 cardsGrades 9–12, College#physics#formulas

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  • Average velocityQuantity
    v = delta x / delta t
  • AccelerationQuantity
    a = delta v / delta t
  • Velocity with constant accelerationQuantity
    v = v0 + at
  • Displacement with constant accelerationQuantity
    x = x0 + v0 t + 1/2 a t^2
  • Velocity-displacement relationQuantity
    v^2 = v0^2 + 2a(x - x0)
  • Free-fall accelerationQuantity
    g = 9.8 m/s^2 (about)
  • Newton's second lawQuantity
    F = ma
  • WeightQuantity
    W = mg
  • Friction forceQuantity
    f = mu N
  • Hooke's lawQuantity
    F = -kx
  • Centripetal accelerationQuantity
    a = v^2 / r
  • Centripetal forceQuantity
    F = mv^2 / r
  • Universal gravitationQuantity
    F = G m1 m2 / r^2
  • Gravitational field near a planetQuantity
    g = GM / r^2
  • Orbital speedQuantity
    v = sqrt(GM / r)
  • WorkQuantity
    W = F d cos theta
  • Kinetic energyQuantity
    KE = 1/2 m v^2
  • Gravitational potential energyQuantity
    PE = mgh
  • Spring potential energyQuantity
    PE = 1/2 k x^2
  • PowerQuantity
    P = W / t
  • MomentumQuantity
    p = mv
  • ImpulseQuantity
    J = F delta t = delta p
  • TorqueQuantity
    tau = r F sin theta
  • Angular velocityQuantity
    omega = delta theta / delta t
  • Rotational kinetic energyQuantity
    KE = 1/2 I omega^2
  • Angular momentumQuantity
    L = I omega
  • Period and frequencyQuantity
    T = 1/f
  • Wave speedQuantity
    v = f lambda
  • Spring periodQuantity
    T = 2 pi sqrt(m / k)
  • Pendulum periodQuantity
    T = 2 pi sqrt(L / g)
  • PressureQuantity
    P = F / A
  • Hydrostatic pressureQuantity
    P = P0 + rho g h
  • Buoyant forceQuantity
    F = rho_fluid V g
  • Continuity equationQuantity
    A1 v1 = A2 v2
  • Bernoulli's equationQuantity
    P + 1/2 rho v^2 + rho g h = constant
  • DensityQuantity
    rho = m / V
  • Heat transferQuantity
    Q = m c delta T
  • Heat for phase changeQuantity
    Q = m L
  • Ideal gas lawQuantity
    PV = nRT
  • Average kinetic energy of gasQuantity
    KE = 3/2 k_B T
  • First law of thermodynamicsQuantity
    delta U = Q - W
  • Efficiency of a heat engineQuantity
    e = W / Q_hot
  • Carnot efficiencyQuantity
    e = 1 - T_cold / T_hot
  • Coulomb's lawQuantity
    F = k q1 q2 / r^2
  • Electric fieldQuantity
    E = F / q
  • Electric field of a point chargeQuantity
    E = k q / r^2
  • Electric potential energyQuantity
    U = k q1 q2 / r
  • Electric potentialQuantity
    V = k q / r
  • CapacitanceQuantity
    C = Q / V
  • Energy stored in a capacitorQuantity
    U = 1/2 C V^2
  • CurrentQuantity
    I = delta Q / delta t
  • Ohm's lawQuantity
    V = IR
  • Electric powerQuantity
    P = IV = I^2 R = V^2 / R
  • Resistors in seriesQuantity
    R = R1 + R2 + R3
  • Resistors in parallelQuantity
    1/R = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3
  • Magnetic force on a chargeQuantity
    F = q v B sin theta
  • Magnetic force on a wireQuantity
    F = I L B sin theta
  • Magnetic fluxQuantity
    Phi = B A cos theta
  • Induced emf (Faraday)Quantity
    emf = -N delta Phi / delta t
  • Snell's lawQuantity
    n1 sin theta1 = n2 sin theta2
  • Index of refractionQuantity
    n = c / v
  • Lens/mirror equationQuantity
    1/f = 1/do + 1/di
  • MagnificationQuantity
    m = -di / do
  • Photon energyQuantity
    E = h f
  • Speed of lightQuantity
    c = 3.00 x 10^8 m/s
  • Photoelectric effectQuantity
    KE max = h f - work function
  • de Broglie wavelengthQuantity
    lambda = h / p
  • Mass-energy equivalenceQuantity
    E = m c^2
  • Radioactive decayQuantity
    N = N0 (1/2)^(t / half-life)
  • Time dilationQuantity
    t = t0 / sqrt(1 - v^2/c^2)
  • Doppler effect (moving source approaching)Quantity
    f' = f v / (v - v_s)
  • Sound intensity levelQuantity
    beta = 10 log10(I / I0) decibels
  • Diffraction gratingQuantity
    d sin theta = m lambda
  • Single-slit minimaQuantity
    a sin theta = m lambda
  • Escape velocityQuantity
    v = sqrt(2GM / r)
  • Kepler's third lawQuantity
    T^2 is proportional to r^3
  • Projectile range (level ground)Quantity
    R = v0^2 sin(2 theta) / g
  • Terminal velocityQuantity
    Reached when drag force equals weight
  • Conservation of momentumQuantity
    m1 v1 + m2 v2 = m1 v1' + m2 v2'
  • Elastic collisionQuantity
    Both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved
  • Center of massQuantity
    x_cm = sum of m x / sum of m
  • Power in rotationQuantity
    P = tau omega
  • Moment of inertia of a point massQuantity
    I = m r^2
  • Moment of inertia, solid diskQuantity
    I = 1/2 m r^2
  • Simple harmonic motion positionQuantity
    x = A cos(omega t)
  • Angular frequencyQuantity
    omega = 2 pi f
  • Thermal expansionQuantity
    delta L = alpha L0 delta T
  • Heat conductionQuantity
    Q/t = k A delta T / d
  • Stefan-Boltzmann lawQuantity
    P = e sigma A T^4
  • Wien's lawQuantity
    lambda_max T = constant
  • Unit of forceQuantity
    Newton, N = kg m/s^2
  • Unit of energyQuantity
    Joule, J = N m
  • Unit of powerQuantity
    Watt, W = J/s

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