PHYSICS FORMULAS

UP  Academic  League  of  Chemical  Engineering  Students  (UP  ALCHEMES)  

Academic  Affairs  Committee  -­‐  Reviews  and  Tutorials  Series,  A.Y.  2015-­‐2016  
Physics  71  Equations  

Kinematics   a = α r   tangential  acceleration  

∆x   T
v=   average  velocity   a = aT2 + aN2   total  acceleration  
  ∆t   tot
∆v  
a=   average  acceleration   Relative  Velocity  
  ∆t
  v = v AB + v BC  
  AC
For  constant  acceleration  only:   v = −v BA  
v − v0 = at     AB
   
v 2 − v02 = 2a∆ x   Forces  
 
 ∑
F = ma   Newton's  Second  Law  
1
∆ x = v0t + at 2  
2 mv 2
 
⎛ v + v0 ⎞
∑ F =
r
  circular  motion  
 
∆x = ⎜ ⎟ t  
⎝ 2 ⎠  W = mg   weight  
 
    f = µN   friction  

Projectile  Motion    B = ρ gV   buoyant  force  

x-­‐component:  constant  velocity     f = −bv   fluid  resistance  
v = v0 cosθ    F = −kx   Hooke's  Law  
  0x  
x = v0xt   Work  and  Energy  
   
   w = F ⋅ s  
y-­‐component:  constant  acceleration    w = Fs cosθ  
b
v = v0 sinθ   w = ∫ F dx   work  done  by  a  force  F  is  the  area  under  
  0 y   a
v − v = − gt       the  F-­‐x  graph  
  y 0 y
v 2 − v 2 = −2g∆ y   w = ∆K   work  -­‐  kinetic  energy  theorem  
  y 0 y   tot
1 U + K 0 + wother = U + K  
∆ y = v0 yt − gt 2     0
  2 1
K = mv 2   translational  kinetic  energy  
    2
Other  formulas  
1
v02 sin2θ K = Iω 2   rotational  kinetic  energy  
x max =   range;  level  ground     2
g
   U = mgh   gravitational  potential  energy  
v02 sin2 θ 1
ymax =   max  height;  level  ground   U = kx 2   elastic  potential  energy  
  2g   2
g(∆ x)2  E = U + K   total  mechanical  energy  
y = (∆ x)tanθ −   y  vs  x   dU
2v02 cos2 θ F =−  
    dx
vtot = v 2x + v 2y   speed  of  a  projectile    
  Power  
 
Circular  Motion  
∆w
P=   average  power  
v 2   ∆t
 
aN =   normal/radial  acceleration    P = F ⋅ v  
  r  
Momentum  and  Impulse  
  
 p = mv   F /A
 dp Y= ⊥   Young's  Modulus  
F=   ∆l /l0
 
  dt − ∆p
  j = ∆ p   impulse  is  the  change  in  momentum   B=   bulk  modulus  
∆V /V0
 
  j = F ∆t   Note:  B  is  a  positive  quantity.  The  negative  sign  is  there  
m v + m2v02 = m1v1 + m2v2   momentum  conservation   since  ∆V  is  negative  (the  object  decreases  in  volume).  
  1 01
v − v = −(v1 − v2 )     pefectly  elastic;   F /A
  01 02 S=    shear  modulus  
        energy  conservation     x /h
m v + m2v02 = (m1 + m2 )v   perfectly  inelastic    
  1 01 Fluids  
 
Center  of  Mass   m
ρ =     density  

x CM =
∑ m x   x-­‐component  of  CM  
i i
  V
ρ
  ∑m i SG =
ρref
  specific  gravity  

yCM =
∑ m y  y-­‐component  of  CM  
i i
 
F
  ∑m i p = ⊥   pressure  
    A
Rotational  Motion   p = pgauge + patm   gauge  vs  absolute  pressure  
 
For  constant  angular  acceleration:  
p = p0 + ρ gh  
ω − ω 0 = αt    
 
 B = ρ gV   buoyany  force  
ω 2 − ω 02 = 2α ∆θ  
  A v = A2v2  
  1 1
1
∆θ = ω 0t + αt 2   1
  2 p + ρ gh+ ρv 2 = constant   Bernoulli  equation  
  2
⎛ ω +ω0 ⎞  
∆θ = ⎜ ⎟ t  
⎝ 2 ⎠ Gravitation  
 
  Gm1m2
F=   force  of  gravity  
Use  RADIANS  for  the  following  conversions:     r2
 s = θ r   −Gm1m2
 v = ω r   U=   gravitational  potential  energy  
  r
a = α r   tangential  acceleration  only  
  T 2Gme
  ve =   escape  speed  
 I = mr  
2
point  particle   re
 
I = I0 + md   parallel-­‐axis  theorem  
2
2π a3/2
  T=   period  around  an  orbit  
  Gms
Torque    
    
 τ = r × F   Simple  Harmonic  Motion-­  Spring-­Mass  System  
 τ = rF sinθ  
d 2x
 ∑
τ = Iα   2
= −ω 2 x   simple  harmonic  motion  
    dt
Angular  Momentum   k
   ω=   spring-­‐mass  system  
  = r × p  
L point  particle     m
 L = mvr

sinθ   point  particle    ω = 2π f  
 L = Iω   rigid  body   1
f =  
 
Elasticity  
  T
  x = Acos(ω t + φ )   B
v=   speed  of  sound  
 v = − Aω sin(ω t + φ )   ρ
 
 a = − Aω cos(ω t + φ )  
2
v + vL
1 f '= f   listener  moving  toward  source  
E = kA2   total  mechanical  energy   v − vS
  2  
  v − vL
f '= f   listener  moving  away  from  source  
Simple  Harmonic  Motion-­  Pendulum   v + vS
 
L v +vf
T = 2π   simple  pendulum  
g f '= f     listener  and  source  moving  in  the  same  
  v + vs
 
I     direction  
T = 2π  physical  pendulum  
  mgd
Note:  Use  parallel-­‐axis  theorem  when  calculating  I  
 
Damping  
 b < 2 km   underdamped  

 b = 2 km   critically  damped  

 b > 2 km   overdamped  
Tip:  To  make  memorization  easier,  note  that  a  higher  b  
means  a  higher  damping  force.  If  b  is  small  (  b < 2 km ),  
the  damping  force  is  not  strong  enough  to  immediately  
stop  the  oscillation,  thus  the  system  is  underdamped.  
 
k b2
ω '= −  
  m 4m 2

 
Mechanical  Waves  
 v = f λ  
2π
k=   wavenumber  
  λ
  y(x ,t ) = Acos(kx − ω t )   wave  travelling  to  +x  
  y(x ,t ) = Acos(kx + ω t )   wave  travelling  to  -­‐x  
P(x ,t ) = µF A2ω 2 sin2(kx − ω t )   power  
 
  y(x ,t ) = 2Asin(kx)sin(ω t )   standing  wave  
Note:    The  amplitude  of  a  standing  wave  is  2A  but  the  
amplitude  of  the  travelling  waves  that  created  it  is  A.  
F
v=  
  µ
2L
λ =   wavelength  of  nth  harmonic  
  n
Note:  For  standing  waves  on  a  string,  the  nth  harmonic  
is  the  same  as  the  (n-­‐1)th  overtone.  
 
Doppler  Effect