Basic Physical Quantity Name of Base Unit Symbol for SI Unit

Length Metre m
Mass Kilogram kg
Time Second s
Electric Current Ampere A
Thermodynamic Temperature Kelvin K
Luminous Intensity Candela cd
Amount of Substance Mole mol
Physical Quantities and SI Units

Prefixes for SI Units

Prefix Symbol
106 Mega M
3
10 Kilo k
10-1 Deci d
10-2 Centi c
10-3 Milli m
10-6 Micro µ

Unit 2: Speed, Velocity and Acceleration

distance moved d
 speed= timetaken ( v= t)
displacement s
 velocity= time taken (v= t )
change∈ velocity Δ v v−u
 acceleration= timetaken (a= Δ t = t )

Equations of Motion

 v=u+at
1
 s= ut+ at2
2
 2 2
2as= v -u

Momentum

 momentum= mass × velocity (p=mv)

 change in momentum: 𝞓p=mv-mu

Impulse
  impulse= force × change in time = F×𝞓t
 impulse: 𝞓p=mv-mu
Δp
 F=
Δt

Unit 3: Forces

Force= mass × acceleration (F=ma)

Scalar Vector
Mass Displacement
Time Velocity
Distance Acceleration
Speed Force
Volume
Density
Work
Energy
Power

Unit 4: Mass, Weight and Density

 weight= mass × gravitational field strength (w=m × g)

mass m
 density= (ρ= )
volume V

Unit 5: Turning Effect of Forces

 moment of a force= force × perpendicular distance from pivot (M=F × d)

Unit 6: Work, Energy and Power

 work= force × distance moved in the direction of the force (W= F×s)
1 1
 kinetic energy= × mass × velocity2 (Ek= mv2)
2 2
 gravitational potential energy= mass × gravitational field strength × height (E p=mgh)
useful energy output
 efficiency= ×100 %
total energy input
work done energy converted W E
 power= = (P= = )
time taken time taken t t

More formulas of power in unit 18.

Unit 7: Pressure

Force F
 Pressure= (p= )
Area A
 Pressure in Liquids= height of column × density of the liquid × gravitational field strength
(p=hρg)
k
 Pressure in gases: p= or p1V1=p2V2 (Boyle’s Law)
V

Unit 8: Measurement of Temperature

X θ− X 0
 General Equation for the Centigrade Scale: θ/ °C= ×100
X 100− X 0

 θ/ °C= T/K-273.15

Unit 10: Heat Capacity

heat absorbed ∈J Q
 heat capacity= (C= )
change∈temperature Δθ
C 1 Q
 specific heat capacity= = ( ) where m= mass of substance
m m Δθ
 Q=mc Δ θ

Unit 11: Melting and Boiling

 Latent heat of fusion= specific latent heat of fusion × mass of solid (Lf=lf × m)
 Latent heat of vaporization= specific latent heat of vaporization × mass of solid (Lv=lv×m)

Unit 13: General Wave Properties

1
 Period=
f
distance travelled by wave λ
 speed of wave= (v= ¿
time T
 speed of wave= frequency × distance travelled by wave (v=f λ ¿
 speed of all electromagnetic waves in vacuum= 3.0×108m/s
Unit 14: Reflection and Refraction of Light

 angle of incidence=angle of reflection (∠i=∠r)

sin i
 refractive index (n)=
sin r
speed of light ∈ vacuum c
 n= =
speed of light ∈ vacuum v
1
 n=
sin c
1
 critical angle(c)= sin-1( ¿
n

Unit 15: Converging Lens

height of image
 linear magnification (m)=
height of object

Unit 18: Current Electricity

charge Q
 current= (I= )
time t
work done J
 voltage (V)/e.m.f= =
charge c
 voltage= current × resistance (V=IR)
V
 R=
I
V
 I=
R
ρ× l
 R= where ρ is the resistivity of the material
A
 P= I2R

 P= V2/R

 E=Pt (Power is in kW and time in hours)

 E=VIt

 E=I2Rt

 E= V2/R×t
Unit 25: Radioactivity and the Nuclear Atom

Formula for calculating half-life:

1
 N=No( ¿n
2

N= quantity of radioactive element left (can be mass or countrate)

No= initial amount

n= number of half-lives

Transformers

 Vs/Vp= Ns/Np

Vp= voltage of primary coil

Vs= voltage of secondary coil

Np= number of turns of primary coil

Ns= number of turns of secondary coil

Space Physics

Orbital distance
 s=2πr
Orbital speed
s 2 πr
 v= =
t t