PHYSICS

I. SCALARS and VECTORS

SCALAR magnitude only
VECTOR magnitude and direction

RESULTANT VECTOR the sum of two or more vectors
sin =

!""!#$%&
!!"#$%&'(%
!"#!$%&'

tan =

45
2/2
2/2
1

60
3/2
1/2
3

90
1
0

II. MOTION
MOTION refers to the change in an objects position with
respect to time in a given frame of reference.
DISTANCE a scalar quantity that describes the length of path
traveled by a moving object
DISPLACEMENT () a vector quantity that describes the final
position of an object relative to its starting point
SPEED defined as the distance traveled per unit of time
VELOCITY speed of an object moving in a particular direction
ACCELERATION the change in velocity of an object per unit of
time.
!

= ! ! =
!

!! !!!

Horizontal motion
None

Forces

! = 0

Acceleration
Velocity
distance

Constant
! = !
dx = vxot
where dx = horizontal
distance

D.

!! ! !"# !!

where

displacement/range
! initial velocity
angle

acceleration due to gravity

UNIFORM CIRCULAR MOTION

!! ! ! !
!!

!
! =

mass

acceleration due to gravity

FRICTION FORCE opposes the motion of an object across
the surface on which the object rests or slides and is
directed parallel to the surface of contact

where !"#$%#&' frictional force

!"#$%#&' = !"#$%& coefficient of friction

!"#$%& normal force

E.

F.

Vertical
motion
Force of gravity acts
downwards
!
! = = ~10 ! !

normal force
GRAVITATIONAL FORCE force of attraction between all

masses in the universe


NIVERSAL GRAVITATION
NEWTONS LAW OF U

where ! gravitational force
! !
! =

gravitational constant
!

! mass of object A
! mass of object B
distance between A and B

NEWTONS LAWS OF MOTION

INERTIA: An object at rest remains at rest
1.
LAW OF
while an object in motion remains in motion in a
straight line at the same speed unless acted upon by
an unbalanced force.

2.
LAW OF FORCE AND ACCELERATION: When an
unbalanced force acts upon a body, it accelerates that
body in the direction of the force.
!

=
!

Changing (by ~10 m/s

per sec)
2
dy = vot + 1/2gt
where dy = vertical
distance

3.

RANGE:

where buoyant force

PROJECTILE MOTION
Parameter

radius from the center of the circle to the

object

period (time to make one cycle around the
circle)

speed
III. FORCE
A. FORCE a quantity that changes the speed, direction of
motion and shape of an object
B. NORMAL FORCE force on an object perpendicular to the
surface it rests on
C. BUOYANT FORCE net upward force that a fluid exerts on
an immersed object, floating or submerged

ARCHIMEDES PRINCIPLE An immersed body is buoyed up
by a force equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces

!
! time
where displacement
t elapsed


! final position
velocity

! initial position acceleration

s average speed ! final velocity

d total distance ! initial velocity
LINEAR MOTION WITH CONSTANT ACCELERATION
! = ! +
1
= ! + !
2
2 = ! ! ! !
FREE FALL motion of an object under the influence of
gravitational pull only

= 9.8 ! (acceleration due to gravity)

!!

where

REVEW SPECIAL ANGLES!
q
0
30
Sin q
0
1/2
Cos q
1
3/2
Tan q
0
3/3

!!"#$%&'(%
!""!#$%&
!"#!$%&'

G.

or

Where acceleration
net force
mass
LAW OF ACTION AND REACTION: Whenever one
object exerts a force on a second object, the second
object exerts an equal but opposite force on the first.

KEPLERS THREE LAWS OF PLANETARY ORBITS
1.
THE LAW OF ELLIPSES The path of the planets about
the sun are elliptical in shape, with the center of the
sun being located at one focus.
2.
THE LAW OF EQUAL AREAS An imaginary line drawn
from the center of the sun to the center of the planet
will sweep out equal areas in equal intervals of time.

3.

THE LAW OF HARMONIES The ratio of the squares

of the periods of any two planets is equal to the ratio
of the cubes of their average distances from the sun.

CONSERVATION OF MOMENTUM

!"#$%" = !"#$%
!"#$%" !"#$%" = !"#$% !"#$%

A.

B.

IV. WORK and ENERGY

WORK is done by a force when it moves an object
through a distance in the direction in which the force is
acting
= cos
where
work done on object

applied force

displacement of object

angle between and
ENERGY
1.
POTENTIAL ENERGY the energy of an object
because of its position or state
a.
Gravitational PE potential energy an object
possesses because of its position in a
gravitational field
=

where gravitational potential energy

mass

acceleration due to gravity
height

b.

Elastic PE potential energy stored as a result of

deformation of an elastic object
!

= !
!

where elastic potential energy

spring constant

displacement of the spring

2.
KINETIC ENERGY
1
where kinetic energy
= !
2
mass

velocity



C. CONSERVATION OF MECHANICAL ENERGY applicable
only if internal forces are doing work, no work done by
external force

=
! + ! = ! + !

D. POWER the rate at which work is performed or energy is
converted. It is energy per unit of time.

E.

F.

COLLISIONS

INELASTIC COLLISION

conserved but not

PERFECTLY INELASTIC COLLISION

conserved but not

(Colliding objects stick together)
and are conserved

ELASTIC COLLISION

V. WAVES
wavelength ()
- the length of one wave period (meters)
period (T)
- the time for one wave to pass (seconds)
frequency (f)
- number of waves passing in one second (hertz)
wave speed (v)
- how fast the wave moves (meter/second)
amplitude - the height of wave

8
* For light in a vacuum, c = 3 x 10 meters/second
* Wave period and frequency are related by:
1
=

* Wave speed is the distance traveled in one period (wavelength)

divided by the time to travel this distance (period):

=
= =

VI.
ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM

where
! electric force
A. COULOMBS LAW

proportionality constant


charge on object 1
!! !

! = !! !

! charge on object 2
!

distance of separation

B. ELECTRIC CURRENT flow of electric charge
DIRECT CURRENT electric current flowing in one direction
only
ALTERNATING CURRENT electric current that repeatedly
reverse its direction
C. VOLTAGE electrical potential energy per unit charge
D. ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE property of material that resists
the flow of an electric current through it

R resistance
!"
=

resistivity
!
L length of material

A cross-sectional area of the material


E.
OHMs LAW states that the current in a metallic
conductor varies directly with the voltage and inversely
with resistance

where
!"#$
current
!
=
=
=
!"#$
applied force
!
voltage

velocity
resistance

ELECTRIC POWER


MOMENTUM

power
!
current

where momentum
resistance
=

mass of the object

velocity of the object
IMPULSE
F.
ELECTRIC CIRCUIT any path along which electrons can


flow
=
SERIES CIRCUIT circuit where there is only one path from
=
the source through all of the loads and back to the source
= = (mass of the object x change in velocity)
PARALLEL CIRCUIT circuit in which there are at least two
independent paths in the circuit to get back to the source
where force experienced by the object

duration of time the force is experienced by
Parameter
Series Circuit
Parallel Circuit
the object

! = ! = !

Current

= !

Voltage

Resistance

object, and has the same distance from the mirror as the
object is from the mirror.
2. SPHERICAL MIRRORS - the image formed is located either
where the reflected light converges, or where the reflected
light appears to diverge from. The focal length, f, is half of
the radius, r.
MIRROR EQUATION
1
1
1
=
+
! !
MIRROR
F
do
di
concave



(real image
+
+
+
virtual image
+
+
-
convex (virtual image)
-
+
-

D. LENSES made with 2 refracting surfaces. It will either
refract light to a point, called a focal point, f, or they may
cause the light waves to diverge outwards.
Power of the lens: P = 1/f, measured in diopters.
LENS MAKERS EQUATION
1
1
1
=
+
! !
LENS
F
do
di
Convex/converging



real image
+
+
+
virtual image
+
+
-
Concave/diverging (virtual image)
-
+
-

! = ! + ! + !

! = ! = !

= ! + ! + !

= !

1
!

= ! + ! + !

1
1
1
+ +
! ! !

G.

CAPACITORS
CAPACITORS devices that store charge and electrical
energy when a potential difference V is applied across the
plates.
CAPACITANCE - is a measure of the capacity to store
charge. The greater the capacitance, the greater amount of
charge can be stored for the same applied voltage.
= / where C capacitance
Q charge (Coulumbs)
V potential difference (Volts)
H. ELECTRIC FIELD is a vector field created by a charge Q
Force on charge Q by the electric field E is given by:

F = QE Force is in the same direction as the field.
MAGNETIC FIELD - region in around a magnet, electric
current, or changing electric field. The density of the field
lines indicates the magnitude of the magnetic field.
I.
AMPERES LAW
The magnetic field
B around a loop is
relate to the sum
of the current it
contains
THE RIGHT HAND RULE
will help to indicate
the direction of the
magnetic field given the
direction of the current.

J.
LORENTZ FORCE
=
Lorentz force

charge
of particle

velocity of particle
magnetic field

VII. LIGHT AND OPTICS
A. LAW OF REFLECTION OF LIGHT
=
B. SNELLS LAW
n1 * sin 1 = n2 * sin 2
where n1 speed of light in medium 1
1 - angle of incidence
n2 speed of light in medium 2
2 - angle of refraction
C. MIRRORS
1. PLANE MIRRORS - Images formed in plane mirrors are
always upright, virtual (i.e. image is formed at the back of
the mirror), laterally reversed, has the same size as the