Important Equations in Physics for IGCSE course

General Physics:
1 For constant motion:

v is the velocity in m/s, s is the

distance or displacement in meters
and t is the time in sec
u is the initial velocity, v is the final
velocity and t is the time

For acceleration a

Graph: in velocity-time
graph the area under the
Area of a rectangular shaped graph = base height
graph is the total
Area of triangular shaped graph = base height
distance covered
Weight is the force of
w is the weight in newton (N), m is
gravity and mass is the
the mass in kg and g is acceleration
=
amount of matter
due to gravity = 10 m/s2
3
Density in kg/m
m is the mass and V is the volume
=
( is the rhoo)
Force F in newtons (N)
m is the mass and a is acceleration
=
(
)=
(
)
Terminal Velocity:

falling with air resistance implies no net force, therefore no acceleration, constant velocity
Hookes Law
F is the force, x is the extension in
=
meters and k is the spring constant
Moment of a force in N.m
d is the perpendicular distance from
=
(also turning effect)
the pivot and F is the force
Law of moment or
=
equilibrium
=>
=
Conditions of Equilibrium Net force on x-axis=zero, net force on y-axis= zero, net moment=zero
Work done W joules (J)
F is the force and d is the distance
=
covered by an object same direction
1
Kinetic Energy Ek in
m is the mass(kg) and v is the
=
joules (J)
velocity (m/s)
2
Potential Energy Ep in
m is mass (kg) and g is gravity and
=
joules (J)
h is the height from the ground
Law of conservation of
=
energy:
1
=
2
Power in watts (W)
Power is the rate of doing work or
=
rate of transferring the energy from
one form to another
=

5
6
7
8
9
10
11
11
12
13
14

15

16 Efficiency:
17 Pressure p in pascal (Pa)
18 Pressure p due to liquid

19 Atmospheric pressure
20 Energy source

Prepared by Faisal Jaffer

100

F is the force in newton (N) and A is

the area in m2
is the density in kg/m3, h is the
=
height or depth of liquid in meters
and g is the gravity
5
P=760mmHg = 76cm Hg =1.01x10 Pa
renewable can be reused
non-renewable cannot be reused
Hydroelectric eg dam, waterfall
Chemical energy eg petrol, gas
Geothermal eg from earths rock
Nuclear fission eg from uranium
Solar eg with solar cell
Wind energy eg wind power station
Tidal/wave energy eg tide in ocean
=

Revised on 21 June 2010

Page 1

Thermal Physics:
Boyles law: Pressure and volume
are inversely proportional
Thermal Expansion (Linear)

Thermal Expansion (Cubical)

Charles Law:
Volume is directly proportional to
absolute temperature

Pressure Law:
Pressure of gas is directly
proportional to the absolute
temperature
Gas Law (combining above laws)

pV=constant
p1 and p2 are the two pressures in Pa
and V1 and V2 are the two volumes in m3
=
L = Lo
Lo is the original length in meters,
is the change in temperature in oC,
L is the change in length in meters (L1- Lo) and
is the linear expansivity of the material
Vo is the original volume in m3,
V = Vo
is the change in temperature in oC,V is
the change in volume in m3 (V1- Vo) and
= 3
is the cubical expansivity of the material.
V is the volume in m3 and T is the temperature
=
in kelvin (K).

=
=

=
7

Specific Heat Capacity:

Amount of heat energy required to
raise the temperature of 1 kg mass
by 1oC.
Thermal Capacity: amount of heat
require to raise the temperature of
a substance of any mass by 1oC
Specific latent heat of fusion
(from solid to liquid)

10 Specific latent heat of vaporization

(from liquid to vapour)
11 Thermal or heat transfer

12 Emitters and Radiators

13 Another name for heat radiation
14 Melting point
15 Boiling point

16 Condensation
17 Solidification
18 Evaporation

Prepared by Faisal Jaffer

p is the pressure in Pa and T is the

temperature in Kelvin (K).

In thermal physics the symbol is used for

celsius scale and T is used for kelvin scale.

c is the specific heat capacity in J/(kg oC),

=
Q is the heat energy supplied in joules (J),

m is the mass in kg and is the change in

temperature
Thermal capacity=mc
The unit of thermal capacity is J/oC.

Lf is the specific latent heat of fusion in J/kg or J/g,

=
Q is the total heat in joules (J),
m is the mass of liquid change from solid in kg or g.
Lv is the specific latent heat of vaporization in J/kg or
=
J/g, Q is the total heat in joules (J), m is the mass of
vapour change from liquid in kg or g.
In solid = conduction
In liquid and gas = convection and also convection current
(hot matter goes up and cold matter comes down)
In vacuum = radiation
Dull black surface = good emitter, good radiator, bad reflector
Bright shiny surface = poor emitter, poor radiator, good reflector
Infrared radiation or radiant heat
Change solid into liquid, energy weaken the molecular bond, no
change in temperature, molecules move around each other
Change liquid into gas, energy break molecular bond and
molecules escape the liquid, average kinetic energy increase, no
change in temperature, molecule are free to move
Change gas to liquid, energy release, bonds become stronger
Change liquid to solid, energy release bonds become very strong
Change liquid to gas at any temperature, temperature of liquid
decreases, happens only at the surface
Revised on 21 June 2010

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Waves, light and sound:

1
Wave motion
2
Frequency f
3
Wavelength
4
Amplitude a
5
wavefront
6

Wave equation 1

Wave equation 2

8
9

Movement of particles
of the medium
Law of reflection

10

Refraction

11

Refractive index n
(Refractive index
has not units)
Diffraction
Dispersion

12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19

20

21
22
23
24
25

26
27

Transfer of energy from one place to another

Number of cycle or waves in one second, unit hertz (Hz)
Length of one complete waves, unit, meters (m)
Maximum displacement of medium from its mean position, meters
A line on which the disturbance of all the particles are at same point from
the central position eg a crest of a wave is a wavefront
v is the speed of wave in m/s, f is the frequency in
=
(hertz) Hz, is the wavelength in meters
1
T is the time period of wave in seconds
=
Longitudinal waves=> back and forth parallel to the direction of the waves
Transverse waves=> perpendicular to the direction of the waves
Angle of incidence i = angel of reflection
=
From lighter to denser medium light bend towards the normal
From denser to lighter medium light bend away from the normal

=
=

Bending of waves around the edges of a hard surface

Separation of different waves according to colours or frequency for example
by using prism
Image from a plane mirror Virtual, upright, same size and laterally inverted and same distance from
the mirror inside
Image from a convex lens
When close: virtual, enlarge, upright
When far: real, small, upside down
Image from a concave lens Virtual, upright, small
Critical angle
When light goes from denser to lighter medium, the incident angle at
which the reflected angle is 90o, is called critical angle.
Total internal reflection
When light goes from denser to lighter medium, the refracted ray bend
(TIR)
inside the same medium called (TIR) eg optical fibre
Electromagnetic Spectrum: travel in vacuum, oscillating electric and magnetic fields
(decrease) and f (increase)
(increases) and f (decrease)
Gammas
X-Rays
Ulra violet
Visible
Infrared
Micro
Radio waves
rays
rays
(light) rays
rays
waves
Gamma rays: for killing cancer cells
Visible light: light rays, monochromatic means one colour
X-rays: in medicine
Infrared: remote controls, treatment of muscular pain
UV rays: for sun tan and sterilization
Micro waves: international communication, mobile phones
of medical instruments
Radio waves: radio and television communication
Colours of visible light
Violet
Indigo
Blue Green Yellow Orange
Red
-7
710-7m
VIBGYO R wavelengths 410 m
Speed of light waves or
In air: 3108m/s
In water:
In glass:
8
electromagnetic waves
2.2510 m/s
2108m/s
Light wave
Transverse electromagnetic waves
Sound wave are
particles of the medium come close to each other compression
longitudinal waves
particles of the medium move away rarefaction
2
Echo
v is the speed of sound waves,
=
d is the distance in meters between source and the
reflection surface and t is the time for echo
Properties of sound
Pitch is similar to the frequency of the wave
waves
Loudness is similar to the amplitude of the wave
Speed of sound waves
Air :
Water:
Concrete :
Steel:
330-340 m/s
1400 m/s
5000 m/s
60007000 m/s

Prepared by Faisal Jaffer

Revised on 21 June 2010

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Electricity and magnetism:

1
Ferrous Materials
2
3
4

6
7

9
10

11
12
13
14
15

Attracted by magnet and can be

iron, steel, nickel and cobalt
magnetized
(iron temporary and steel permanent)
Non-ferrous materials
Not attracted by magnet and
copper, silver, aluminum, wood, glass
cannot be magnetized
Electric field
The space or region around a charge where a unit charge experience force
Direction is outward from positive charge and inward into negative charge
Electric field intensity
Amount force exerted by the
E is the electric field intensity in N/C
charge on a unit charge (q) placed
=
at a point in the field
Current (I): Rate of flow
I is the current in amperes (A),
=
of charges in conductor
Q is the charge in coulombs (C)
t is the time in seconds (s)
Current
In circuits the current always choose the easiest path
Ohms law
Voltage across the resistor is
V is the voltage in volts (V),
directly proportional to current,
I is the current in amperes (A) and
R is resistance in ohms ()
V I provided if the physical
conditions remains same =
Voltage (potential
Energy per unit charge
q is the charge in coulombs (C),
difference)
V is the voltage in volts (V)
=
=
Energy is in joules (J)

E.M.F.
E.M.F. = lost volts inside the power source + terminal potential difference
Electromotive force
EMF=Ir+IR
Resistance and resistivity
R is the resistance a resistor,
=
L is the length of a resistor in meters
is the resistivity of resistor in .m A is the area of cross-section of a
resistor in m2
Circuit
In series circuit the current stays the same and voltage divides
In parallel circuit the voltage stays the same and current divides
Resistance in series
=
+
+
R, R1, R2 and R3 are resistances of
1
1
1
1
Resistance in parallel
resistors in ohms
=
+
+
Potential divider or
potentiometer
Potential divider

16

Power

17

Power

18
19
20
21
22
23
24

Diode
Transistor
Light dependent resistor
Thermistor
Capacitor
Relay
Flemings RH or LH rule

25

Transformer

Prepared by Faisal Jaffer

=
=(
=

+
=

=(

)
+
P is the power in watts (W)
The unit of energy is joules (J)

Semiconductor device... current pass only in one direction, rectifier

Semiconductor device works as a switch , collector, base, emitter
LED resistor depend upon light, brightness increases the resistance decrease
Resistor depend upon temperature, temperature increase resistance decrease
Parallel conductor with insulator in between to store charges
Electromagnetic switching device
thuMb
First finger
seCond finger
Direction of motion
Direction of magnetic field
Direction of current
Vp and Vs are the voltages; np and ns are the no of turns
=
in primary and secondary coils

Revised on 21 June 2010

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26

=
=

Transformer

Power in primary coil =Power in secondary coil

Ip and Is the currents in primary and secondary coil

=
27
28
29
30

E.M induction
a.c. generator
d.c. motor
Logic Gates

Emf or current is induced in a conductor when it cuts the magnetic field lines
Produce current, use Flemings right hand rule
Consume current, use Flemings left hand rule
AND Gate
OR Gate
NOT Gate
NAND Gate
NOR Gate
1

31

Cathode rays

32

CRO

Atomic Physics:
1
Alpha particles
-particles

Beta-particles
-particles

Gamma-particles
-rays

4
5

Half-life
Atomic symbol

Isotopes

Prepared by Faisal Jaffer

out

out

in

out

out

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
Stream of electrons emitted from heated metal (cathode). This process is
called thermionic emission.
Horizontal or y-plates for vertical movement of electron beam
Timebase or x-plates for horizontal movement

out

1
0
0
0

Double positive charge

Helium nucleus
Stopped by paper
Highest ionization potential
Single negative charge
Fast moving electrons
Stopped by aluminum
Less ionization potential
No charge
Electromagnetic radiation
Only stopped by thick a sheet of lead
Least ionization potential
Time in which the activity or mass of substance becomes half
A is the total no of
protons and neutrons
Z is the total no of protons
Same number of protons but different number of
neutrons

Revised on 21 June 2010

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