A-level Physics data and formulae

For use in exams from the June 2017 Series onwards

DATA - FUNDAMENTAL CONSTANTS AND VALUES

Quantity Symbol Value 8

Units –1
3.00 × 10 m s
4π × 10–7
8.85 × 10–12 H m–1 F m–1
speed of light in vacuo 1.60 × 10–19
6.63 × 10–34
6.67 × 10–11
C
Js
6.02 × 1023
8.31
1.38 × 10–23 N m2 kg–2 mol–1
permeability of free space 0 5.67 × 10–8
2.90 × 10–3 J K–1 mol–1 J K–1
9.11 × 10–31
1.76 × 1011
W m–2 K–4 m K
permittivity of free space 0
1.67(3) × 10–27
kg
9.58 × 107
1.67(5) × 10–27
magnitude of the charge of electron 9.81
9.81 –1
C kg kg
1.661 × 10–27 –1
C kg
the Planck constant ℎ
kg

gravitational constant N kg–1 m s–2

kg

the Avogadro constant A

molar gas constant

the Boltzmann constant
the Stefan constant σ

the Wien constant

electron rest mass
e
(equivalent to 5.5 × 10–4 u)

electron charge/mass ratio

e

proton rest mass

p

(equivalent to 1.00728 u)

proton charge/mass ratio

p

neutron rest mass

n

(equivalent to 1.00867 u)

gravitational field strength

acceleration due to gravity
atomic mass unit
u

(1u is equivalent to 931.5 MeV)

ALGEBRAIC EQUATION Earth 5.97 × 10

24
6.37 × 10
6

2
−b± b − 4ac
quadratic equation x=
2a
ASTRONOMICAL DATA

Body Mass/kg Mean radius/m

Sun 1.99 × 1030 6.96 × 108

 curved surface area of = 2πrh
GEOMETRICAL EQUATIONS cylinder

=r 2
arc length area of sphere = 4πr
4
circumference of circle = 2πr 3
volume of sphere = πr
2 3
area of circle = πr

Version 1.5 1
Particle Physics photoelectricity ℎ
=ϕ+
k (max)

energy levels ℎ =1–2

Class Name Symbol Rest energy/MeV

ℎ
ℎ

de Broglie wavelength = =

photon photon 0

lepton neutrino ve 0

2
vµ 0

±
electron e 0.510999

±
muon µ 105.659

±
mesons π meson π 139.576

0
π 134.972

±
K meson K 493.821

0
K 497.762

baryons proton p 938.257

neutron n 939.551

Properties of quarks
antiquarks have opposite signs

Baryon
Type Charge Strangeness
number

2 1
u + e + 0
3 3

1
1
d − 3e + 3 0

1
1
s − 3 e + 3 −1

Properties of Leptons

Lepton number
Particles: e−, νe ; µ−, νµ +1
Antiparticles: e+ , νe , µ+ , νµ −1
Photons and energy
levels
ℎ

=ℎ =
photon energy
Waves
Young modulus =
= =
period 1
∆

wave speed tensile strain =

first 1
energy stored = Δ

harmonic = 2 �

fringe diffraction

= sin =
spacing grating Version 1.5

refractive index of a substance s, =

for two different substances of refractive indices n1 and n2, law of refraction 1 sin 1 = 2 sin 2 critical angle sin c = 2 for 1 >
2
1

Mechanics
moments moment =

velocity and ∆ ∆

acceleration = ∆
= ∆

equations of +

motion = + =� 2 �
2

2 2
= +2

=
+
2

force =

∆( )

force =

impulse Δ =Δ( )

work, energy =cos

and power 1

= 2
Δ p= Δℎ

= , =

峘屜 峘屜
=

Materials
Hooke’s law = Δ

density=
tensile stress =
 AQA A-LEVEL PHYSICS DATA AND FORMULAE

Electricity Gravitational fields

∆ 1 2

=
current and pd ∆ force between two masses 2

= =
=

resistivity = gravitational field strength =

resistors in series T=1+2+3 +… magnitude of gravitational

1 = 1 1 1 field strength in a radial field =2

resistors in parallel + + +⋯ = Δ

T
1 2 3
work done Δ

=–

2
gravitational potential

power ==
2
= =– Δ

= = ( + )

emf Electric fields and capacitors

Circular motion
force between two 1 1 2

magnitude of point charges =

4 0
2

angular speed =

force on a charge =

field strength for a

2
2

centripetal acceleration uniform field

=
= work done Δ = = Δ

centripetal force 2

= field strength for a =

=
2

Simple harmonic motion 4 0

acceleration electric
radial field
potential
2
= − 4 0

displacement = cos ( ) field strength = Δ

=
Δ

speed =± �(
2
−
2
)

maximum speed max =

capacitance =
 2
=
max

maximum acceleration 0r

for a mass-spring system =2 � capacitor energy 1 1 1

2

2
= = =

stored 2 2 2

for a simple pendulum =2 � capacitor charging –

= (1 − e )

Thermal physics –

decay of charge = 0e

energy to change time constant

= Δ

temperature
energy to change
=

state
gas law =

kinetic theory model = ( )2

rms

1 3 3
=
( rms)2
kinetic energy of gas =

2 2 2A

molecule

Version 1.5 3
Magnetic fields
force on a current =

force on a moving charge =

magnetic flux Ф=

magnetic flux linkage Ф =cos

4
ΔФ

magnitude of induced emf =

Ф =cos

emf induced in a rotating coil =sin t

0 0

rms = rms
=

alternating current
√2 √2

s s

transformer equations =
p p

s s

efficiency =

p p

Nuclear physics

=
inverse square law for γ radiation
2

radioactive decay =– , = oe
−

activity =

ln 2

half-life =

nuclear radius 1/3

=

energy-mass equation = 2
 − 2

OPTIONS r 2 1

= � �
Astrophysics i 2+ 1
1 astronomical unit = 1.50 × 1011 m
1 light year = 9.46 × 1015 m
5 16
1 parsec = 2.06 × 10 AU = 3.08 × 10 m
1 1 1
= 3.26 ly

half-lives = +

Hubble constant, = 65 km s–1 Mpc–1

E B P

Version 1.5
= 峘屜
telescope in normal 0

adjustment =

Rayleigh criterion ≈

magnitude equation – = 5 log

10

Wien’s law max = 2.9 × 10−3 m K

Stefan’s law =
4

2GM
Schwarzschild radius s ≈
2
c
Δ Δ

Doppler shift for v << c =– =

red shift =−

Hubble’s law =

Medical physics
1

=
lens equations

1 1 1

= +

threshold of hearing 0 = 1.0 × 10−12 W m−2

intensity level = 10 log

absorption = 0
–

m =

ultrasound imaging =
 AQA A-LEVEL PHYSICS DATA AND FORMULAE

Engineering physics Turning points in physics

moment of inertia
2
=Σ
=
electrons in fields
1

angular kinetic energy = 2

=
equations of angular 2

motion 2 = 1+ ½ 2
=

2
= 2 +2

2 1
Millikan’s experiment =

= 1 + 2 =6

= (1+ 2)
=
Maxwell’s formula
� 00
2

ℎ ℎ

torque =

=
angular momentum = =
√2

angular impulse
0

Δ = Δ( )

work done =
special relativity =

power =
2

�1 −

thermodynamics =Δ + 2

= Δ

adiabatic change = constant

H− C = 0
�
1−
isothermal change = constant
2

heat engines 0
2

2
= =
= H− C

efficiency =
2

�1 −
H H

maximum theoretical
efficiency =
Electronics
work done per cycle = area of loop
input power = calorific value × fuel flow rate indicated power = ( − ) resonant frequency 1
× ()
× ()

output or brake power =

0=

friction power = – heat pumps and refrigerators

2 √

Q-factor
C C

refrigerator: ref = = −
=
H C

hp = =
H H
operational amplifiers:
heat pump:
open loop out = OL ( + − −)
H− C

inverting amplifier out

f

=−

in in

non-inverting amplifier out

=1+
f
 out + −

in l l

summing amplifier 1 2 3

=− � + + +⋯� Bandwidth requirement:

out f
for AM ℎ=2M

1 2 3

difference amplifier f
for FM ℎ = 2(∆ + M)

=( − )

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 AQA A-LEVEL PHYSICS DATA AND FORMULAE

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