AS Physics Formulas

Acceleration/ms-2 (a)
The rate of change of velocity

Area/m2 (A)
The extent or measurement of a surface

Charge/C (q)
Expresses whether a particle has fewer protons or electrons

Current/A (I)
The number of coulombs of charge passing a point per second

Density/kgm-3 ( )
Mass per unit volume

Diffraction Grating (N)

An optical component with a periodic structure that diffracts light into several beams

Displacement/m (s)
A vector equal to the change in an objects position from start to finish

Distance/m (d)
Total length that an object moves through

Electromotive Force/V (E)

Energy converted from other forms to electrical potential energy per unit charge
Efficiency/% (Eff)
The amount of energy that is not lost throughout a process

Elastic Potential Energy or Strain Energy/J (Ee)

The work done in extending a spring by extension, x

Electric Field Strength/NC-1 (E)

The force per unit positive charge

Electron Voltage/eV (eV)

The energy done per unit electron charge

Extension/m (x)
The increase in length of an object

Force/N (F)
The rate of change of momentum

Frequency/Hz (f)
The number of complete oscillations in one second

Gap Spacing/m (a)

The distance between gaps that light passes through from a source

Gravitational Potential Energy/J (Ep)

The work done displacing through height
Half Life/s (t1/2)
The time it takes for an amount of radioactive substance to decrease by half

Intensity/Wm-2 (I)
Power per unit area

Internal Resistance/ (r)

The resistance existing within a battery

Kinetic Energy/J (EK)

The energy associated with a mass of speed, v

Mass/kg (m)
a property of an object that resists change in motion

Moment or Torque/Nm ()
The product of the force and the perpendicular distance of the line of action of the force from the
pivot
Momentum/kgms-1 (p)
The product of mass multiplied by velocity

Period/s (T)
Time taken for one complete oscillation of a particle in the medium

Power/W (P)
The rate at which work is done

Pressure/Pa (P)
Force per unit area

Resistance/ (R)
The ratio of potential difference to current flow through a component

Resistivity/m ( )
A measure of the resisting power of a material to the flow of an electric current

Speed/ms-1 (vspeed)
The rate of change of distance

Strain/Pa ( )
Ratio of extension to the unloaded length

Stress ()
Force per unit cross sectional area

Time/s (t)
A measure of the interval between two events

Torque of a Couple/Nm ()
The product of one of the forces and the perpendicular distance between the forces
Upthrust/N (Upthrust)
The weight of the displaced fluid on an object
Velocity/ms-1 (v = final; u = initial)
The rate of change of displacement

Voltage or Potential Difference/V (V)

Energy converted from electrical potential energy to other forms per unit charge

Volume/m3 (V)
The amount of space an object takes up

Wave Phase/ or rad ( )

A measurement of how far out of step different points are on a waveform

Wavelength/m ( )
Distance between two corresponding points in successive waveforms such as crests or troughs

Work/J (W)
The product of force moving through a displacement in the same direction as the force

Youngs Modulus/Pa (E)

Ratio of stress to strain