Mechanics Formulae for Physics Proficiency Exams

Motion, forces, work, energy and momentum.

v = dx/dt a = dv/dt v = vo + at x = xo + vot + at2/2 v2 = vo2 + 2ad

F = ma f = µN W=F.x K = ½mv
Ug = mgh Uspring = ½kx2
Fx = -dU/dx xcm = Σ mixi / Σmi
p = mv F = dp/dt J or I =∆p =∫ Fdt

Rotational motion.

θ = s/r ω = dθ/dt α = dω/dt ac = v2/r = ω2r K = ½ Iω2 I = Σ miri2

Idisc = ½MR2 Isphere=(2/5)MR2 Irod-CM = (1/12)ML2 Iparallel = ICM + MR2
τ = Iα τ=rxF L = m(r x v) L = Iω ΣF = 0 Στ = 0

Oscillators, gravity.

F = -kx E = ½kx2 y = A cos(ωt + φ) ω = 2π/T T = 1/f ω = (k/m)1/2 T = 2π (l/g)1/2

F = GM1M2/r2 Ug = -GMm/r K = GMm/(2r)
T2 = r3 (4π2)/(GM)

Fluids, waves, sound.

ρ = m/v p = F/A p = ρgh p + 0.5 ρv2 + ρgh = const ρH2O = 1 g/cm3

y = A sin (kx - ωt) k = 2π/λ ω = 2π/T v = λf = ω/k v = (τ/µ)½
β =10 log(I/Io) dB f’ = f (v+vD)/(v+vS)

Thermo, heat, kinetic theory.

TF= 1.8 TC + 32 ∆L/L = α ∆T Q = cm∆t Q = Lm ∆Eint = Qin - Wdone

∆Q/∆t = kA ∆T/L KEav = 1.5 kT where k = R/NA = 1.38 x 10-23 J/K

Constants.

NA = 6.02 x 1023 R = 8.31 J/mol-K G = 6.67 x 10-11 N m2/kg2 g = 9.8 m/s2 = 32 ft/sec2

MISC.
−b ± (b 2
− 4ac )
sin(2θ) = 2sin(θ)cos (θ) If ax + bx + c = 0 then x =
2
2a
 Electricity & Magnetism Formulae for Physics Proficiency Exams
Constants:
e = 1.6 x 10-19 C k = 1/(4πεo) = 9 x 109 N m2/C2
εο = 8.85 x 10-12 F/m µο = 4π x 10-7 T m/A
c = 3 x 108 m/s 1 eV = 1.6 x 10-19 J me = 9.11 x 10-31 kg

Electric fields, resistance, circuits, capacitors:

F = kQ1Q2/r2 E = F/q

Gauss’s Law: ΦE = ∫E .A = Qencl /εo ∆V = -E . dr V = kq/r U = Σkqiqj/rij

-E = i ∂V/∂x + j ∂V/∂y + k ∂V/∂z i = V/R R = ρL/A ρ - ρo = ρo α ∆T
Kirchhoff: ΣloopV = 0   
P = iV iin = iout τ= p × E
q=CV C = εoA/d Uc = ½ CV2 q = qo e-t/RC or q = qf (1 - e-t/RC) τc = RC
Rseries equiv = R1 + R2 + . . . 1/Rparallel equiv = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + . . .
Cparallel equiv = C1 + C2 + . . . 1/Cseries equiv = 1/C1 + 1/C2 + . . .

Magnetic fields and electromagnetism:

FB = qv x B FB = iL x B qvB = mv2/r
Biot-Savart Law: dB = (µ0/4π)(i ds x r)/r3
dd d dΦB d d d dΦE
ε= ∫ E  dl =−
dt
=
−
d
dt
B  A ( ) Ampere’s Law: = ∫
 B dl µoε o
dt
+µoi

Bline = µ0i / (2πr) Bhoop = µ0i / (2r) Bsolenoid = µ0ni

E = -L di/dt Lsolenoid = µοn2A τL = L/R UL = ½ Li2 ω2 = 1/ (LC)

Optics:
n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2 1/p + 1/i = 1/f = 2/r 1/f = (n-1) [r1-1-r2-1] sin θ = 1.22 λ/d

=E Emax sin ( kx ± ωt ) yˆ k = 2π/λ ω = 2πf ω = ck or c = fλ λeffective = λ/n
c = (εoµo)-1/2 Emax = Bmaxc S = E x B/µο ∆p = ∆I/c

Math:
− b ± b 2 − 4ac
The solutions to a quadratic equation: ax2 + bx + c = 0 are x =
2a
Surface Area of a Sphere is: 4πr2 Volume is 4πr3/3
Law of Cosines: C 2 = A2 + B 2 − 2 AB cos θC
Modern Physics Formulae for Physics Proficiency Exams

Constants
µB = eh/(8πm) = 9.274 x 10-24 J/T
e2/(4πε0) = 1.440 eV nm 1 u (or amu) = 931.5 MeV/c2
-19
e = 1.6 x 10 C
k = 1/(4πεo) = 9 x 109 N m2/C2 εo = 8.85 x 10-12 C2/(N m2)
NAvogad = 6.02 x 1023 µo = 4π x 10-7 T m/A
Rest mass of an electron = 9.109 X 10-31 kg = 0.511 MeV/c2
c = 2.99792458 x 108 m/sec hc = 1240 eV nm
-34 -15
h = 6.626 x 10 J-s = 4.1356 x 10 eV-s  = 1.05 x 10 –34 J-s = 6.58 x 10-16 eV-s
1 eV = 1.602 x 10-19 J kB = 1.38 x 10-23 J/K = 8.62 x 10-5 eV/K

Special Relativity
β = v/c; γ = (1 - β2)-1/2 T = Toγ L = L o /γ
Binomial Expansion: γ = 1 + β2/2 + 3β4/8 + …
Lorentz: x’ = γ (x-βct) y’ = y z’ = z ct’ = γ (ct - βx)
or

x ′ = γ ( x − ut ) x = γ ( x ′ + ut ′)
y′ = y y = y′
z′ = z z = z′
  u    u 
t ′ = γ  t −  2  x t = γ  t ′ +  2  x ′
 c    c  

ux − v
velocity transform: vx’ = (vx - u)/(1 - vxu/c2) or u x' =
uv
1 − x2
c
Doppler: ν’ = ν [ (1-β) / (1+β) ]½
Kinematics: E = γ mc2 pc = βγmc2 E2 = (pc)2 + (mc2)2 K = E - mc2
KE = (γu –1)mc2
p = γumu

Quantum Theory
Photoelectric effect: Kmax = hν - φ de Broglie wavelength: λ = h / p
Blackbody radiation: I = σ T 4
λmax T = 2.898 10-3 m K
Compton scattering: λ’ - λ = (hc/mec2) (1 - cos θ)
Electron diffraction: nλ = d sin φ Heisenberg: ∆px∆x ≥ /2 ∆E∆t ≥ /2
Schrödinger Equation: -(h2/8π2m)d2ψ/dx2 +Uψ = Eψ P(x)dx = |ψ(x)|2 dx
 2 m (U o − E ) 
 L
 2 d 2ψ ( x) E  E  − 2  
− + U ( x)ψ ( x) = Eψ ( x) Twide barrier ≅ 16 1 − e 
2m dx 2 Uo  Uo 
2  nπx 
Infinite 1D square well: En = (n2π2 2) / (2mL2) ψ n ( x) = sin   for 0 < x < L
L  L 
Infinite 3D square well: En = (π2 2) (nx2 + ny2 +nz2 )/ (2mL2)

SHO: En = (n + ½) (h/2π) ω
2mE
TRAVELING WAVE: ψ ( x) =
Aeikx + Be − ikx with k =

2m (V − E )
Aeα x + Be −α x
DECAYING WAVE: ψ ( x) = with α =

Rutherford Scattering: N(θ) = (nt/4r ) (zZ/2K) (e /4πεo) (sin (θ/2))-4
2 2 2 2

Hydrogen atom: En = -13.6 eV / n2 λ = (1/R) n12n22/(n12 - n22) R = 1.097 x 107 m-1

dV = r2 sin θ dr dθ dφ ; P(r) = r2 |R(r)|2 orbital: µL = -(e/2m) L µL,z = -mlµB
2
x-rays: Eα = 13.6 eV (Z-1) (3/4)
E = hf = hν = ω p = h/λ = k k = 2π / λ KEmax = hf - φ

Quantum Statistics
P(E) = e-∆E/kT NBE(E,T) = 1/[ e(E-µ)/kT -1 ] NFD(E,T) = 1/[ e(E-Efermi)/kT +1 ]
1/2 E/kT 2 E/kT
p(E)MB ~ E /e p(E)BE ~ E /(e -1)
1/2
p(E)FD ~ E /{exp[(E-EF)/kT] + 1} EF = (h2/2m) (3N/8πV) 2/3
N!
WNNR = S = kB lnW ∂S/∂E = 1/T
N R !( N − N R !)

Nuclear
R = (1.2 x 10-15 m)A1/3 dN/dt = -λN λ = 1/τ = 0.693/t1/2 Kα =(A-4)Q/A R = σNIo/S
N(t) = (R/λ) (1 - e-λt) A = λN (for x + X -> y + Y) Kthreshold = -Q (1 + mx/mX)
(for x + X -> A + B + C + …) Kthreshold = -Q (mx + mX + mA + mB + mC + …)/(2mX)
Mossbauer Effect: recoil energy K = Eγ2/(2Mc2) , v ~ c∆E/E

Particle
Leptons: e µ τ quarks [charge +2/3: u c t] [charge -1/3: d s b]

Math
n(n − 1) x 2
(1 ± x ) n = 1 ± nx + ±  ln(1 + x) = x − 21 x 2 + 
2!
ex = 1 + x + x2/2! + x3/3! + x4/4! + ⋅⋅⋅
ex = 1 + x + x2/2! + x3/3! + x4/4! +

∫ sin (ax )dx = 2 − 4a sin (2ax ) ∫ cos (ax )dx = 2 + 4a sin (2ax )
2 x 1 2 x 1

∫ sin (ax )cos(ax)dx = 2a sin (ax )

1 2
1 eV = 1.602 x 10-19 J