Certificate Physics Useful notations, units and equations

Quantity

Symbol

SI Unit

Optics
angle of incidence
angle of reflection
angle of refraction
refractive index
critical angle
Snells Law
sin 1
sin i
n
or 1 n 2
sin 2
sin r
radius of curvature
focal length
f

i
r
r
n
C

1
sin C

r
f

m
m

u
v
ho
hi
m

m
m
m, cm
m, cm

r
2

object distance
image distance
object height
image height
magnification

equation for critical angle

Im age height
Object height

hi v
if the object is to the principal
ho u
axis

Heat
temperature
mass
heat capacity
specific heat capacity
specific latent heat
energy expression for heat capacity
volume

C, K
kg

-1
-1

J K , J C
-1
-1
J kg K

-1
J kg

energy expression for latent heat

E ml f or E ml v
V
m3

pressure
atmospheric pressure

P
Patm

E mc

Boyles law

m
C

PV = constant

V
cons tan t
Charles law
T
P
cons tan t
Pressure law
T
PV
cons tan t
General gas law
T

Pa, Nm-2
atm

Mechanics
distance
displacement
time

d
s
t

m
m
s

velocity
initial velocity
final velocity

v
u
v

m s-1

dis tan ce
time

average speed

acceleration
a

velocity

displacement
time

v
t

m s-2

equations of motion

ins tan tan eous speed

s
t

1
s ut at 2
2
v2 = u2 + 2as

v = u + at
gravitational field strength

10 m s-2

F
P

N
N m-1

tension
Newtons second Law
F = ma
force = mass acceleration
F = ma
friction
moment, L = Fd

momentum = mass velocity

p = mv

kg m s-1

weight
W = mg
force
Pr essure

Force
Area

F
A

Principal of conservation of momentum

total momentum of the objects before collision/explosion = total momentum of the objects
after collision/explosion
impulse = change of momentum
p
kg ms-1

change of momentum
F
N
force

time

mechanical energy
kinetic energy
KE

E
KE

J
J

1
mv 2
2

potential energy
PE
J

PE = mgh
WD
J

work done = force distance

WD = F s
Principal of conservation of energy
Energy can be changed from one form to another, but it cannot be created or destroyed.
UsefulOutputEnergy
%

effeciency
100%
TotalInput Energy

energy
power
time
E
P
or P = Fv
t

Waves
frequency

Hz

1
T

wave velocity
wave length
period
velocity = frequency wavelength
v = f

ms-1
m
s
for EM waves
c = f

Electricity and Magnetism

quantity of charge
current
I

Q
I

C
A

Q
t

e.m.f
W
V
Q

resistance
l
R
A

Ohms Law
V = IR
power
P = VI = I2R = V2/R
equivalent resistance
in parallel

1
1
1

R R1 R 2

in series R = R1 + R2
electrical energy
E = Pt

()

Atomic Physics
half-life

atomic number
mass number
equations of , and decay
decay AZ X AZ42Y 42 He
decay AZ X ZA1Y 01 e
decay AZ X * AZ X

Z
A

s, min, yr