List of important physics formulas :

March 1, 2025
  1. Newton’s Laws of Motion

First Law (Law of Inertia):
Formula:

Fnet=0F_{text{net}} = 0
Explanation: An object will stay at rest or in uniform motion unless acted upon by a force.

Second Law (Force and Acceleration):
Formula:

F=maF = ma
Explanation: The force on an object is equal to its mass times its acceleration.

Third Law (Action and Reaction):
Formula:

Faction=FreactionF_{text{action}} = -F_{text{reaction}}
Explanation: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

 

  1. Work, Energy, and Power

Work Done by a Force:
Formula:

W=Fdcos(θ)W = F cdot d cdot cos(theta)
Explanation: Work is done when a force acts over a distance.

FFis the force,

ddis the distance, and

θthetais the angle between the force and the direction of motion.

Kinetic Energy:
Formula:

KE=12mv2KE = frac{1}{2} mv^2
Explanation: The energy an object has due to its motion, where

mmis mass and

vvis velocity.

Potential Energy:
Formula:

PE=mghPE = mgh
Explanation: The energy stored in an object due to its height above the ground, where

mmis mass,

ggis acceleration due to gravity, and

hhis height.

Power:
Formula:

P=WtP = frac{W}{t}
Explanation: Power is the rate at which work is done, where

WWis work and

ttis time.

  1. Motion Equations (Kinematics)

Equation 1 (Displacement with constant acceleration):
Formula:

v=u+atv = u + at
Explanation: Final velocity

vvis initial velocity

uu, plus acceleration

aatimes time

tt.

Equation 2 (Displacement without final velocity):
Formula:

s=ut+12at2s = ut + frac{1}{2} a t^2
Explanation: Displacement

ssis initial velocity

uutimes time

tt, plus half the acceleration

aatimes time squared.

Equation 3 (Displacement with velocity):
Formula:

s=(u+v2)ts = left( frac{u + v}{2} right) cdot t
Explanation: Displacement

ssis the average of initial velocity

uuand final velocity

vv, times time

tt.

  1. Circular Motion

Centripetal Force:
Formula:

Fc=mv2rF_c = frac{mv^2}{r}
Explanation: The force that keeps an object moving in a circle, where

mmis mass,

vvis velocity, and

rris the radius of the circle.

Centripetal Acceleration:
Formula:

ac=v2ra_c = frac{v^2}{r}
Explanation: The acceleration that keeps an object moving in a circle.

  1. Gravitation

Gravitational Force (Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation):
Formula:

F=Gm1m2r2F = frac{G m_1 m_2}{r^2}
Explanation: The force between two masses

m1m_1and

m2m_2, separated by distance

rr, where

GGis the gravitational constant.

Gravitational Potential Energy:
Formula:

PE=Gm1m2rPE = -frac{G m_1 m_2}{r}
Explanation: The energy stored due to gravitational attraction between two masses.

  1. Waves and Sound

Wave Speed:
Formula:

v=fλv = f lambda
Explanation: The speed

vvof a wave is the frequency

fftimes the wavelength

λlambda.

Sound Intensity:
Formula:

I=PAI = frac{P}{A}
Explanation: The intensity

IIof sound is the power

PPdivided by the area

AAthrough which the sound passes.

  1. Thermodynamics

First Law of Thermodynamics (Energy Conservation):
Formula:

ΔU=QWDelta U = Q – W
Explanation: The change in internal energy

ΔUDelta Uof a system is equal to heat added

QQminus work done

WWby the system.

Heat Transfer:
Formula:

Q=mcΔTQ = mc Delta T
Explanation: The heat

QQneeded to change the temperature of a substance is its mass

mmtimes its specific heat

cctimes the change in temperature

ΔTDelta T.

  1. Electricity and Magnetism

Ohm’s Law:
Formula:

V=IRV = IR
Explanation: Voltage

VVis current

IItimes resistance

RR.

Coulomb’s Law (Electric Force):
Formula:

F=keq1q2r2F = frac{k_e q_1 q_2}{r^2}
Explanation: The force between two charges

q1q_1and

q2q_2, separated by distance

rr, where

kek_eis Coulomb’s constant.

Electric Power:
Formula:

P=IVP = IV
Explanation: The power

PPin an electrical circuit is the product of current

IIand voltage

VV.

  1. Optics

Lens Equation:
Formula:

1f=1do+1difrac{1}{f} = frac{1}{d_o} + frac{1}{d_i}
Explanation: The inverse of the focal length

ffof a lens is the sum of the inverses of the object distance

dod_oand the image distance

did_i.

Magnification:
Formula:

M=hiho=didoM = frac{h_i}{h_o} = frac{d_i}{d_o}
Explanation: Magnification

MMis the ratio of image height

hih_ito object height

hoh_o, or the ratio of image distance

did_ito object distance

dod_o.

  1. Modern Physics

Einstein’s Mass-Energy Equation:
Formula:

E=mc2E = mc^2
Explanation: Energy

EEis equal to mass

mmtimes the speed of light

ccsquared.

Photoelectric Effect (Energy of Photon):
Formula:

E=hfE = hf
Explanation: The energy

EEof a photon is the frequency

fftimes Planck’s constant

hh.

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