Physics Y4T1CT Formulae Sheet.docx

Speed

Distance traveled per unit time.

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity per unit time.

Newton’s Second Law of Motion

Force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma).

Hooke’s Law

The force needed to extend or compress a spring by some distance is proportional to that distance.

Moment of a Force

The turning effect of a force about a pivot, calculated as force times distance from the pivot.

Principle of Moments

For an object in equilibrium, the sum of anticlockwise moments about a pivot equals the sum of clockwise moments.

Momentum

The product of the mass and velocity of an object.

Impulse

Change in momentum, calculated as the force applied times the time duration of the application.

Work Done

Work is defined as force times distance in the direction of the force.

Power

The rate at which work is done or energy is transferred.

Efficiency

The ratio of useful work output to total energy input, expressed as a percentage.

Pressure

Force applied per unit area.

Boyle’s Law

The pressure of a gas decreases as its volume increases, provided the temperature remains constant.

Specific Heat Capacity

The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of a substance by one degree Celsius.

Specific Latent Heat of Fusion

The amount of heat required to change a unit mass of a solid into a liquid without a change in temperature.

Specific Latent Heat of Vaporisation

The amount of heat required to change a unit mass of a liquid into a vapor without a change in temperature.

Wave Speed

The speed at which a wave travels through a medium, calculated as frequency times wavelength.

Refractive Index

The ratio of the speed of light in vacuum to the speed of light in a medium.

Total Internal Reflection

The complete reflection of light back into a medium when it hits the boundary at an angle greater than the critical angle.