Advancing Physics Revision Guide CD-ROM

Formulae, Symbols, Units and Data

Contents
• Formulae and relationships
• Quantities, symbols and units
• Useful data

Formulae and relationships

A booklet containing the values of physical data and mathematical formulae is supplied by
OCR for Advancing Physics examinations. It is available from the OCR Web site, or from the
Advancing Physics Web site at:
http://advancingphysics.iop.org/support_materials/student/PhysicsEquations.pdf

Imaging and signalling

focal length 1 1 1 Cartesian convention

= + (object distance u, image distance
v u f
v, focal length f)
refractive index speed of light in vacuo (refractive index n )
n =
speed of light in medium

noise limitation on Vtotal V (maximum bits per sample b, total

maximum bits per b = log2 ( ) or 2 b = total voltage variation Vtotal, noise
Vnoise Vnoise
sample voltage Vnoise

Electricity

current ΔQ (current I, charge flow ΔQ, time

I= interval Δt)
Δt

potential difference E (potential difference V, energy E,

V= charge Q)
Q

power P = IV = I2R (power P, potential difference V,

current I, resistance R)

Vload = ε – Ir (emf ε, internal resistance r )

resistance and V I (resistance R, conductance G,

conductance R= G= potential difference V, current I)
I V
G = G1 + G2 + ....... (conductors in parallel)

R = R1 + R2 + ....... (resistors in series)

conductivity and σA ρl (conductivity σ, resistivity ρ , cross

resistivity G= R= section A, length l )
l A

Advancing Physics 1
 Advancing Physics Revision Guide CD-ROM

capacitance Q (potential difference V, charge Q,

C= capacitance C)
V

energy stored = 21 QV = 21 CV 2

discharge of Q = Q0 e
− t RC (initial charge Q0, time constant RC,
capacitor time t)

τ = RC (time constant τ)

Materials

density M (density ρ, mass M, volume V)

ρ=
V
Hooke's law F = kx (tension F, spring constant k,
extension x)
stress, strain and tension
the Young stress =
cross - sectional area
modulus

extension
strain =
original length

stress
Young modulus =
strain

elastic strain energy = 21 kx 2

Energy and thermal effects

efficiency useful energy output

efficiency =
energy input

energy ΔE = mcΔθ (change in energy ΔE, mass m,

specific thermal capacity c,
temperature change Δθ)
Boltzmann factor ( −E
kT
) (energy difference E, kelvin
e temperature T, Boltzmann constant
k)

Waves

v = fλ (wave speed v, frequency f,

wavelength λ)

nλ = d sinθ (on a distant screen from a diffraction

grating or double slit; slit spacing d ,
order n, wavelength λ, angles of
maxima θ)

Advancing Physics 2
 Advancing Physics Revision Guide CD-ROM

Oscillations

d 2x ⎛k ⎞ (time t, acceleration a,
= a = −⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ x = −(2πf ) 2 x force per unit displacement k, mass
dt 2 ⎝m⎠ m,
displacement x, frequency f)

x = A cos 2 π ft (amplitude A, time t)

x = A sin 2 π ft

T = 2π m (periodic time T)
k

1 (frequency f)
f =
T
total energy E = 21 kA 2 = 21 mv 2 + 21 kx 2

Gases

ideal gas equation pV = nRT (pressure p, volume V, number of

moles n, molar gas constant R,
temperature T)
kinetic theory of 1 (pressure p, volume V, number of
gases pV = Nmc 2 molecules N, mass of molecule m,
3
2
mean square speed c )

Motion and forces

equations for s = ut + 21 at 2 (initial speed u, final speed v, time

uniformly taken t, acceleration a, distance
accelerated v = u + at travelled s)
motion v 2 = u 2 + 2as

momentum p = mv (momentum p, mass m, velocity v)

power = Fv (force F, velocity v)
force = rate of change of momentum

impulse = FΔt (force F)

Advancing Physics 3
 Advancing Physics Revision Guide CD-ROM

components of a F
vector in two
perpendicular
directions

F cos

work = Fx (force F, component of

displacement in the direction of
the force x)
for circular mv 2 (radius of circle r )
v2
motion a= F=
r r

Special relativity

relativistic factor γ 1 (speed of object v, speed of light c)

γ=
v2
1−
c2

relativistic p = γmv (momentum p, relativistic factor γ,

momentum mass m, velocity v)
relativistic energy Etotal = γErest (total energy Etotal, relativistic factor γ,
rest energy Erest)
Etotal = γmc2

Atomic and nuclear physics

radioactive decay ΔN (number N, decay constant λ, time t)

= −λ N
Δt

N = N 0 e − λt (initial number N0)

ln 2 (half-life T1/2 )
T1 =
2 λ

absorbed dose = energy

deposited per unit mass
dose equivalent = absorbed
dose × quality factor
risk = probability ×
consequence
expected random variation in
N random counts is of the
order N

mass-energy Erest = mc2 (rest energy Erest, mass m, speed of

relationship

Advancing Physics 4
 Advancing Physics Revision Guide CD-ROM

light c)
energy-frequency E = hf (photon energy E, Planck constant h,
relationship for frequency f)
photons

h (wavelength λ, Planck constant h,

λ= momentum p;
p
NOTE p = mv for slow moving
particles, p = E / c for photons and
particles moving close to speed of
light)

Field and potential

for all fields dV ΔV (potential V, distance r , potential

field strength = − ≈−
dr Δr gradient dV / dr )

gravitational fields F (gravitational field strength g,

g= gravitational force F, mass m )
m

GM F = − GMm (gravitational potential Vgrav, radial

Vgrav = − component of force F, gravitational
r r2
constant G, masses m and M,
distance r )
electric fields F (electric field strength E, electric force
E= F, charge q )
q

kQ kQq (electric potential Velec, radial

Velec = F= 2
r r component of force F, electric force
constant k, charges q and Q,
distance r )

Electromagnetism

force on a current F = ILB (flux density B, current I, length L )

carrying conductor
force on a moving F = qvB (charge q , velocity perpendicular to
charge field v )

d (NΦ ) (induced emf ε, flux Φ, number of

ε=− turns linked N, time t)
dt

Advancing Physics 5
 Advancing Physics Revision Guide CD-ROM

Quantities, symbols and units

The following list illustrates the symbols and units which are used in Advancing Physics, and
in the AS and A2 question papers.

Quantity Usual symbols Usual unit

absolute temperature T K
acceleration a m s–2
acceleration of free fall g m s–2
activity of radioactive source A Bq
angle θ °, rad

angular displacement θ °, rad

angular frequency ω rad s–1

angular speed ω rad s–1
amount of substance n mol
area A m2
atomic mass ma kg, u

Avogadro constant L, NA mol–1

Boltzmann constant k J K–1
capacitance C F
Celsius temperature θ °C

conductance G S
conductivity σ S m–1
decay constant λ s–1
density ρ kg m–3
displacement x or s m
distance d,r,x m
electric charge Q, q C
electric current I A

electric field strength E N C–1, V m–1

electric potential V V
electric potential difference V V
electromotive force (emf) ε V

electron mass me kg, u

Advancing Physics 6
 Advancing Physics Revision Guide CD-ROM

Quantity Usual symbols Usual unit

elementary charge e C
energy E, W J
energy transferred thermally (heating) Q J
force F N
frequency f Hz
gravitational constant G N kg–2 m2
gravitational field strength g N kg–1
half-life t1/2 s

kinetic energy EK J

length l m
magnetic flux Φ Wb

magnetic flux density B T

mass m kg
molar gas constant R J K–1 mol–1
momentum p kg m s–1
neutron mass mn kg, u

neutron number N

nucleon number A

number N, n, m

number density (number per unit volume) n m–3

period T s
permeability of free space μ0 H m–1

permittivity of free space ε0 F m–1

Planck constant h J s or J Hz–1

potential energy EP J

power P W
pressure p Pa
proton mass mp kg, u

proton number Z

resistance R W
resistivity ρ Wm

specific thermal capacity c or C J kg–1 K–1

Advancing Physics 7
 Advancing Physics Revision Guide CD-ROM

Quantity Usual symbols Usual unit

specific latent heat L J kg–1
speed u, v, c m s–1
speed of electromagnetic waves c m s–1
spring constant k N m–1
strain σ fraction or per cent

stress ε Pa

time t s
time constant τ s

velocity u, v, c m s–1
volume V m3
wavelength λ m

work W J
work function energy W J, eV
Young modulus E Pa

Advancing Physics 8
 Advancing Physics Revision Guide CD-ROM

Useful data
This list of data is more comprehensive than lists issued with examination papers.
Values are given to three significant figures, except where more – or less – are useful.

Physical constants

speed of light c 3.00 × 108 ms–1

permittivity of free space εn 8.85 × 10–12 C2 N–1 m–2 (or F m–1)

electric force constant 1 8.98 × 109 N m2 C–2

k =
4πε 0

permeability of free space μ0 4 π × 10–7 N A–2 (or H m–1)

charge on electron e –1.60 × 10–19 C

mass of electron me 9.11 × 10–31 kg = 0.000 55 u

mass of proton mp 1.673 × 10–27 kg = 1.007 3 u

mass of neutron mn 1.675 × 10–27 kg = 1.008 7 u

mass of alpha particle mα 6.646 × 10–27 kg = 4.001 5 u

Avogadro constant L, NA 6.02 × 1023 mol–1

Planck constant h 6.63 × 10–34 J s

Boltzmann constant k 1.38 × 10–23 J K–1

molar gas constant R 8.31 J mol–1 K–1

gravitational force constant G 6.67 × 10–11 N m2 kg–2

Advancing Physics 9
 Advancing Physics Revision Guide CD-ROM

Other data

standard temperature and 273 K (0 °C), 1.01 × 105 Pa (1 atmosphere)

pressure (stp)

molar volume of a gas at Vm 22.4 dm3 = 2.24 × 10–2 m3

stp

gravitational field strength g 9.81 N kg–1 (or m s–2)

at the Earth's surface in
the UK

Conversion factors

unified atomic mass unit 1u = 1.661 × 10–27 kg

1 day = 8.64 × 104 s

1 year ≈ 3.16 × 107 s

1 light year ≈ 1016 m

Mathematical constants and equations

e = 2.72 π = 3.14 1 radian = 57.3°

arc = r θ circumference of circle = 2πr

sinθ ≈ tan θ ≈ θ area of circle = πr 2

and cos θ ≈ 1 for small θ

curved surface area of cylinder = 2πrh

ln(xn) = n lnx volume of cylinder = πr 2h

ln(ekx) = kx surface area of sphere = 4πr 2

4 3
volume of sphere = πr
3

Advancing Physics 10
 Advancing Physics Revision Guide CD-ROM

Prefixes

1012 T

109 G

106 M

103 k

10–3 m

10–6 μ

10–9 n

10–12 p

Advancing Physics 11