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THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ALBANY, NY 12234

Reference Tables for Physical Setting/ PHYSICS

2006 Edition
List of Physical Constants
Name

Symbol

Value

Universal gravitational constant

6.67 1011 N m2/kg2

Acceleration due to gravity

9.81 m/s2

Speed of light in a vacuum

3.00 108 m/s

Speed of sound in air at STP

3.31 102 m/s

Mass of Earth

5.98 1024 kg

Mass of the Moon

7.35 1022 kg

Mean radius of Earth

6.37 106 m

Mean radius of the Moon

1.74 106 m

Mean distanceEarth to the Moon

3.84 108 m

Mean distanceEarth to the Sun

1.50 1011 m

Electrostatic constant

8.99 109 N m2/C2

1 elementary charge

1.60 1019 C

1 coulomb (C)

6.25 1018 elementary charges

1 electronvolt (eV)

1.60 1019 J

Plancks constant

6.63 1034 J s
9.31 102 MeV

1 universal mass unit (u)

Rest mass of the electron

me

9.11 1031 kg

Rest mass of the proton

mp

1.67 1027 kg

Rest mass of the neutron

mn

1.67 1027 kg

Prefixes for Powers of 10

Prefix
tera
giga
mega
kilo
deci
centi
milli
micro
nano
pico

Symbol
T
G
M
k
d
c
m

n
p

Notation
1012
109
106
103
10 1
10 2
10 3
10 6
10 9
10 12

Approximate Coefficients of Friction

Rubber on concrete (dry)
Rubber on concrete (wet)

Kinetic
0.68
0.58

Rubber on asphalt (dry)

Rubber on asphalt (wet)

0.67
0.53

Rubber on ice
Waxed ski on snow

0.15
0.05

Wood on wood
Steel on steel
Copper on steel
Teflon on Teflon

0.30
0.57
0.36
0.04

Static
0.90
0.85

0.14
0.42
0.74
0.53

Electricity
Fe =

kq1q2

A = cross-sectional area

r2

E = electric field strength

F
E= e
q

Fe = electrostatic force
I = current

V= W
q

k = electrostatic constant
L = length of conductor

q
I=
t

P = electrical power
q = charge

R= V
I

R = resistance
Req= equivalent resistance

L
R=
A

r = distance between centers

P = VI = I 2R =

V2
R

V 2t
W = Pt = VIt = I2Rt =
R

t = time
V = potential difference
W = work (electrical energy)
= change
= resistivity

Series Circuits

Parallel Circuits

I = I1 = I2 = I3 = . . .

I = I1 + I2 + I3 + . . .

V = V1 + V2 + V3 + . . .

V = V1 = V2 = V3 = . . .

Req = R1 + R2 + R3 + . . .

1
1
1
1
Req = R1 + R 2 + R3 + . . .

Circuit Symbols
cell

Resistivities at 20C
Material

Resistivity ( m)

battery

Aluminum

2.82 108

switch

Copper

1.72 108

voltmeter

Gold

2.44 108

ammeter

Nichrome

150. 108

Silver

1.59 108

Tungsten

5.60 108

resistor
variable resistor
lamp
Reference Tables for Physical Setting/Physics 2006 Edition

Page 4

Waves
v = f
T=

c = speed of light in a vacuum

1
f

f = frequency
n = absolute index of refraction

i = r

T = period

n= c
v

v = velocity or speed

n1 sin 1 = n2 sin 2
n2
v1
1
n1 = v2 =
2

= wavelength
= angle
i = angle of incidence
r = angle of reflection

Modern Physics
Ephoton = hf = hc

Ephoton = Ei Ef
E = mc 2

c = speed of light in a vacuum

E = energy
f = frequency
h = Plancks constant
m = mass
= wavelength

Geometry and Trigonometry

Rectangle

A = area

A = bh

b = base
C = circumference

Triangle
A=

1
bh
2

Circle

h = height
r = radius

A = r 2
C = 2r
Right Triangle
c 2 = a2 + b 2
sin = a
c
cos = b
c
tan = a
b
Reference Tables for Physical Setting/Physics 2006 Edition

90
b

Page 5

Mechanics
d
v = t

a = acceleration

a = v
t

A = any vector quantity

vf = vi + at

ET = total energy

ac = centripetal acceleration

d = vit +

d = displacement or distance
1 2
at
2

vf2 = vi2 + 2ad

Ay = A sin
Ax = A cos

F = force
Fc = centripetal force
Ff = force of friction
Fg = weight or force due to gravity
FN = normal force
Fnet = net force

F
a = net
m

Fs = force on a spring

Ff = FN

g = acceleration due to gravity or

gravitational field strength

Gm1m2
r2

Fg =
g=

G = universal gravitational constant

h = height

Fg

J = impulse

k = spring constant

p = mv

KE = kinetic energy

pbefore = pafter

m = mass

J = Fnet t = p
Fs = kx
PEs =

1 2
kx
2

p = momentum
P = power
PE = potential energy
PEs = potential energy stored in a spring
Q = internal energy

Fc = mac

r = radius or distance between centers

2
ac = v
r

t = time interval

PE = mgh
KE =

1
mv2
2

W = Fd = ET
ET = PE + KE + Q
P = W = Fd = F v
t
t

Reference Tables for Physical Setting/Physics 2006 Edition

v = velocity or speed
v = average velocity or average speed
W = work
x = change in spring length from the
equilibrium position
= change
= angle
= coefficient of friction

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DET 615 96-05540 96-040 CDC