Physics Reference Tables - North Carolina Public Schools

Physics Reference Tables

Physical Constant Symbol Value

Acceleration due to gravity on g 9.8 m / s / s
Earth

Coulomb’s law constant k 9.0  109 Nm2
C2

Elementary charge e 1.6  1019 C
Electron rest mass me
9.11  1031 kg

Gravitational constant G 6.67  10 11 Nm2
kg2

Proton rest mass mp 1.67  1027 kg
Speed of light in a vacuum c
3.00  108 m / s

Speed of sound in air at STP 331 m / s

The Index of Refraction
for Common Substances

Air 1.00

Alcohol 1.36

Corn Oil 1.47

Diamond 2.42

Glass, Crown 1.52

Glass, Flint 1.61

Glycerol 1.47

Quartz, Fused 1.46

Water 1.33

NCDPI Reference Tables for Physics (2012) Version 2 Page 1
Stock No. 14156

Mechanics Energy
F = force

v  x a = uniform W  F x g = acceleration due
t acceleration to gravity on
Earth
xf  xi  vt ac = centripetal P  W  Fv
acceleration t h = height

xf  xi  vit  1 at 2 F = force k = spring constant
2
Fc = centripetal force PEg  mgh KE = kinetic energy

a  v Fg = weight KE  1 mv 2 m = mass
t 2
g = acceleration due P = power
v 2  v 2  2ax to gravity on
f i Earth PEg = gravitational
potential
G = gravitational F  kx energy
constant
F = ma 1 PEs = potential
J = impulse 2 energy
PE s  kx 2 stored in a
m = mass spring
Fg = mg p = momentum
t = time
F  Gm1m2 r = radius or
r2 distance between v = velocity
centers
p = mv
J  F t t = time

v = velocity W = work
x = position
ac  v2 x = position
r

Fc  mv 2
r

NCDPI Reference Tables for Physics (2012) Version 2 Page 2

Electricity

F  kq1q2 d = distance between parallel plates Series Circuits
r2 Ee = electrical energy It  I1  I2  I3  ...

V  IR E = electric field strength Vt  V1  V2  V3  ...
P  VI  I 2R  V 2 F = force Req  R1  R2  R3  ...
I = current
R
k = Coulomb’s law constant
Ee  Pt P = power Parallel Circuits
p = transformer primary coil It  I1  I2  I3  ...
E  Fe  kq q = charge Vt  V1  V2  V3  ...
q r2 r = radius or distance between centers
1  1  1  1  ...
R eq R1 R2 R3

kq R = resistance
r
V 

s = transformer secondary coil

E  V V = electrical potential or potential
d difference

VpIp  VsIs

NCDPI Reference Tables for Physics (2012) Version 2 Page 3

Mathematical Formulas Wave Phenomena

a c a2  b2  c2 T 1 c = speed of light
f in a vacuum

 sin  a v  f f = frequency
c n = index of

b cos   b n  c refraction
c v
T = period
tan  a n1 sin1  n2 sin2
b v = speed

Circumference of a circle = 2 r sin  c  n2   angle
n1
c  critical angle
Area of a rectangle = length  width of incidence

Area of a triangle = 1 base  height n1v1  n2v2  = wavelength
2

Electromagnetic Spectrum
(measurement in meters)

104 103 102 101 100 10–1 10–2 10–3 10–4 10–5 10–6 10–7 10–8 10–9 10–1010–1110–12 10–13

Microwaves X rays
Ultraviolet
Infrared

Radio Gamma
waves rays

Longer Wavelength Shorter Wavelength

Visible Light

Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet

7.0 ´ 10–7 6.5 ´ 10–7 5.9 ´ 10–7 5.7 ´ 10–7 4.9 ´ 10–7 4.2 ´ 10–7 4.0 ´ 10–7

NCDPI Reference Tables for Physics (2012) Version 2 Page 4