PHYSICS

ATAR COURSE YEAR 12

FORMULAE AND DATA BOOKLET

2022

2021/68707 Physics Year 12 Formulae and Data Booklet 2022

PHYSICS YEAR 12 2 FORMULAE AND DATA BOOKLET

Note: the variable t refers to the 'time taken', sometimes referred to as the 'change in time' or Δt.

Gravity and motion

s
Average velocity vav =
t

Equations of motion v  u  at s  u t  ½ at2 v 2  u 2  2as p = mv

Force Fnet = m a

Weight force Fweight = mg

Kinetic energy Ek = ½ m v 2

Gravitational potential energy E p  mg  h

Work done W = Fs W  E

2 r v2 m v2
Equations of circular motion v ac = Fc m=
resultant= ac
T r r

Newton’s law of universal m1 m2

Fg = G
gravitation r2
T 2 4 2
Kepler's 3rd law 
r 3 GM
Fg M
Gravitational field strength g =
= G 2
m r
Moment of a force
  r F sin 
(force at angle θ to lever arm)

Wave particle duality and the quantum theory

1
Wave period T=
f
Wave equation c f
hc
Energy of photon E=hf E

Energy transitions E  h f  E  E2  E1

Photoelectric effect Ek  h f  W
h
de Broglie wavelength 
p

See next page

FORMULAE AND DATA BOOKLET 3 PHYSICS YEAR 12

Electromagnetism
1 q1 q2
Coulomb's law F
4  0 r 2
F V
Electric field strength E
= =
q d
 I
Magnetic field strength B 0
2 r
Magnetic force on a F  qvB where v  B
charged particle
Magnetic force on a
F  I B where   B
current-carrying conductor

Particle motion in a mv
r=
magnetic field qB
Torque on a coil   r F

Magnetic flux   B A

Electromagnetic induction induced emf :   vB where v ⊥ B

( 2  1 )  ( B A )
induced emf :    N  N  N
t t t
 max
AC generator emf max :  max  2 N vB  2 N B A f  rms 
2
Ohm’s law V = IR
q
Electric current I= Work and energy W = V q
t
Vp Np
Ideal transformer turns ratio = Power P =V I
Vs Ns

Special relativity
t0
v2 t
Relativistic effects   0 (1  2 ) v2
c (1  )
c2
vu' u v
u u'
vu ' uv
1 2 1 2
c c
mv
pv 
Relativistic momentum v2 Hubble's law v = H0 d
(1  )
c2
Rest energy Erest = m c 2
m c2
Et 
Mass-energy equivalence v2 Total energy Et  Ek  Erest
(1  )
c2

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PHYSICS YEAR 12 4 FORMULAE AND DATA BOOKLET

The Standard Model

Elementary particles

Electromagnetic spectrum
Electromagnetic spectrum

Wavelength
(m) 10 2
10 1 10 -1
10 -2
10 -3
10-4 10-5 10-6 10-7 10-8 10-9 10-10 10-11 10
-12

Area
visible

radio frequencies X-rays

of
spectrum microwaves ultraviolet gamma rays
infrared radiation
radiation

f (Hz) 106 107 108 109 1010 1011 1012 1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020
Frequency

Note: shaded areas represent regions of overlap.

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FORMULAE AND DATA BOOKLET 5 PHYSICS YEAR 12

Physical data

Mean acceleration due to gravity on the Earth....... g = 9.80 m s-2

Mean acceleration due to gravity on the Moon...... gM = 1.62 m s-2
Mean radius of the Earth........................................ RE = 6.37 × 106 m
Mass of the Earth................................................... ME = 5.97 × 1024 kg
Mean radius of the Sun.......................................... RS = 6.96 × 108 m
Mass of the Sun..................................................... MS = 1.99 × 1030 kg
Mean radius of the Moon........................................ RM = 1.74 × 106 m
Mass of the Moon................................................... MM = 7.35 × 1022 kg
Mean Earth-Moon distance.................................... = 3.84 × 108 m
Mean Earth-Sun distance....................................... = 1.50 × 1011 m
Mass (at rest) of electron ....................................... me = 9.11 × 10-31 kg
Mass (at rest) of proton.......................................... mp = 1.67 × 10-27 kg
Tonne...................................................................... 1 t = 103 kg

Physical constants

Speed of light in vacuum or air............................... c = 3.00 × 108 m s-1

Electron charge...................................................... e = −1.60 × 10-19 C
Planck constant...................................................... h = 6.63 × 10-34 J s
Newtonian constant of gravitation.......................... G = 6.67 × 10-11 N m2 kg-2
Electric constant..................................................... ε0 = 8.85 × 10-12 F m-1
Magnetic constant.................................................. µ0 = 4� × 10–7 N A–2 = 1.26 × 10–6 N A–2

Conversions

Electron volt............................................................ 1 eV = 1.60 × 10-19 J

Light year................................................................ ly = 9.46 × 1012 km
Megaparsec............................................................ Mpc = 3.09 × 1019 km = 3.26 × 106 ly

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PHYSICS YEAR 12 6 FORMULAE AND DATA BOOKLET

Prefixes of the metric system

Factor Prefix Symbol Factor Prefix Symbol

1012 tera T 10-3 milli m

109 giga G 10-6 micro µ

106 mega M 10-9 nano n

103 kilo k 10-12 pico p

Mathematical expressions

Quadratic equations

Given ax2 + bx + c = 0, x = −b ± √b2 − 4ac

2a

Triangles
The following expressions apply to the triangle ABC as shown:

B
c a

A C
b

a b c
= =
sin A sin B sin C

a = √b2 + c2 − 2bc cos A

End of booklet
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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Elementary Adapted from Standard Model image: MissMJ. (2006). File:Standard Model of
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