Physics Reference Tables - North Carolina Public Schools

Physics Reference Tables

Physical Constant Symbol Value
Acceleration due to gravity on
Earth g 9.8 m /s/s
Coulomb’s law constant
k 9.0 × 109 Nm2
Elementary charge C2
Electron rest mass
e 1.6 × 10−19 C
Gravitational constant
me 9.11 × 10−31 kg
Proton rest mass
Speed of light in a vacuum G 6.67 × 10−11 Nm2
Speed of sound in air at STP kg2

mp 1.67 × 10−27 kg

c 3.00 × 108 m /s

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 (October 2006) Page 1

Mechanics Energy
W = work
v = Δx v = velocity W = FΔx
Δt
t = time F = force
xf = xi + vt P = W = Fv x = position
x = position Δt

xf = xi + vit + 1 at2 a = uniform PEg = mgh P = power
2 acceleration t = time

a = Δv F= force KE = 1 mv2 v = velocity
Δt 2
m = mass PEg = gravitational
v2f = vi2 + 2aΔx F = −kx potential energy
Fg = weight
F= ma PEs = 1 kx2 m = mass
g = acceleration due to 2 h = height
gravity on Earth
Fg = mg
G = gravitational
constant KE = kinetic energy

F = Gm1m2 d = distance between k = spring constant
d2 centers of mass

FΔt = Δp = mΔv p = momentum PEs = potential energy
stored in a spring
ac = centripetal
ac = v2 acceleration
r
Fc = centripetal force
Fc = mv2
r r = radius

NCDPI Reference Tables for Physics (October 2006) Page 2

F = kq1q2 Electricity Series Circuits
d2 F = force It = I1 = I2 = I3 = ...
k = Coulomb’s law constant Vt = V1 + V2 + V3 + ...
V = IR q = charge Req = R1 + R2 + R3 + ...
d = distance between centers
P = VI = I2R = V 2 V = electrical potential difference Parallel Circuits
R I = current It = I1 + I2 + I3 + ...
R = resistance Vt = V1 = V2 = V3 = ...
P = power 1 = 1 + 1 + 1 + ...
R eq R1 R2 R3

Mathematical Formulas Wave Phenomena

a2 + b2 = c2 T = 1 T = period
f

c sinθ = a v = fλ f = frequency
a c

b cosθ = b n = c v = speed
c v λ = wavelength

tanθ = a n1 sinθ1 = n2 sinθ2 n = index of refraction
b
c = speed of light in a
sinθc = n2 vacuum
n1

Circumference of a circle = 2π r n1v1 = n2v2

Area of a rectangle = length × width θ = angle

Area of a triangle = 1 base × height θc = critcal angle
2 of incidence

NCDPI Reference Tables for Physics (October 2006) Page 3

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 —10 10 —11 10 —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 (October 2006) Page 4
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