Important Equations in Physics for IGCSE course

Motion, Forces and Energy:

1 For constant motion: ‘v’ is the velocity in m/s, ‘s’ is the
= distance or displacement in meters
and ‘t’ is the time in sec
2 For acceleration ‘a’ − u is the initial velocity, v is the final
=
velocity and t is the time
3 Graph: in velocity-time
graph the area under the Area of a rectangular shaped graph = base × height
graph is the total Area of triangular shaped graph = ½ × base × height
distance covered
4 Weight is the force of w is the weight in newton (N), m is
gravity and mass is the = × the mass in kg and g is acceleration
amount of matter due to gravity = 9.8 m/s2
5 Density ‘ρ’ in kg/m3 m is the mass and V is the volume
=
(ρ is the rhoo)
6 Force F in newtons (N) = × m is the mass and a is acceleration
7 Terminal Velocity: ℎ ( )= ( )
falling with air resistance implies no net force, therefore no acceleration, constant velocity
8 Hooke’s Law F is the force, x is the extension in
= ×
meters and k is the spring constant
9 Moment of a force in N.m = × d is the perpendicular distance from
(also turning effect) the pivot and F is the force
10 Law of moment or =
equilibrium => × = ×
11 Conditions of Equilibrium Net resultant force zero, net moment=zero
11 Work done W joules (J) = × F is the force and d is the distance
covered by an object same direction
12 Kinetic Energy Ek in 1 m is the mass(kg) and v is the
joules (J) = × × velocity (m/s)
2
13 Potential Energy ∆Ep in Δ = × × Δℎ m is mass (kg) and g is gravity and
joules (J) ∆h is the height from the ground
14 Law of conservation of =
energy: 1
× ×ℎ = × ×
2
15 Power in watts (W) Power is the rate of doing work or
= rate of transferring the energy from
one form to another
=
16 Efficiency:
= × 100
17 Pressure p in pascal (Pa) F is the force in newton (N) and A is
= the area in m2
18 Pressure p due to liquid ρ is the density in kg/m3, h is the
= × ×ℎ height or depth of liquid in meters
and g is the gravity

19 Energy source renewable can be reused non-renewable cannot be reused

Hydroelectric eg dam, waterfall Chemical energy eg petrol, gas
Geothermal eg from earth’s rock Nuclear fission eg from uranium
Solar eg with solar cell
Wind energy eg wind power station
Tidal/wave energy eg tide in ocean
Page 1
 Thermal Physics:
1 Boyle’s law: Pressure and volume pV=constant p1 and p2 are the two pressures in Pa
are inversely proportional ∝ × = × and V1 and V2 are the two volumes in m3

2 Charle’s Law: V is the volume in m3 and T is the temperature

=
Volume is directly proportional to in kelvin (K).
absolute temperature
=
∝
3 Pressure Law: = p is the pressure in Pa and T is the
Pressure of gas is directly temperature in Kelvin (K).
proportional to the absolute =
temperature ∝
4 Gas Law (combining above laws) In thermal physics the symbol θ is used for
=
celsius scale and T is used for kelvin scale.
=
5 Specific Heat Capacity: c is the specific heat capacity in J/(kg oC),
Amount of heat energy required to = Q is the heat energy supplied in joules (J),
×∆
raise the temperature of 1 kg mass m is the mass in kg and Δθ is the change in
by 1oC. temperature

6 Thermal or heat transfer In solid = conduction

In liquid and gas = convection and also convection current
(hot matter goes up and cold matter comes down)
In vacuum = radiation
7 Emitters and Radiators Dull black surface = good emitter, good radiator, bad reflector
Bright shiny surface = poor emitter, poor radiator, good reflector
8 Another name for heat radiation Infrared radiation or radiant heat
9 Melting point Change solid into liquid, energy weaken the molecular bond, no
change in temperature, molecules move around each other
10 Boiling point Change liquid into gas, energy break molecular bond and
molecules escape the liquid, average kinetic energy increase, no
change in temperature, molecule are free to move
11 Condensation Change gas to liquid, energy release, bonds become stronger
12 Solidification Change liquid to solid, energy release bonds become very strong
13 Evaporation Change liquid to gas at any temperature, temperature of liquid
decreases, happens only at the surface

Page 2
 Waves, light and sound:
1 Wave motion Transfer of energy from one place to another
2 Frequency f Number of cycle or waves in one second, unit hertz (Hz)
3 Wavelength λ Length of one complete waves, unit, meters (m)
4 Amplitude A Maximum displacement of medium from its mean position, meters
5 wavefront A line on which the disturbance of all the particles are at same point from
the central position eg a crest of a wave is a wavefront
6 Wave equation 1 = × v is the speed of wave in m/s, f is the frequency in
(hertz) Hz, λ is the wavelength in meters
7 Wave equation 2 1 T is the time period of wave in seconds
=
8 Movement of particles Longitudinal waves=> particles vibrate parallel to the direction of the waves .Transverse
of the medium waves=> particles vibrate perpendicular to the direction of the waves
9 Law of reflection Angle of incidence, i = angle of
reflection,r
10 Refraction From lighter to denser medium → light bend towards the normal
From denser to lighter medium → light bend away from the normal
11 Refractive index n ℎ
(Refractive index = sin i / sin r =
ℎ
has not units)
12 Diffraction Bending of waves around the edges of a hard surface
13 Dispersion Separation of different waves according to colours or frequency for example
by using prism
14 Image from a plane mirror Virtual, upright, same size and laterally inverted and same distance from
the mirror inside
15 Image from a convex lens When close: virtual, enlarge, upright
When far: real, small, upside down
16 Image from a concave lens Virtual, upright, small
17 Critical angle When light goes from denser to lighter medium, the incident angle at
which the reflected angle is 90o, is called critical angle.
18 Total internal reflection When light goes from denser to lighter medium, the refracted ray bend
(TIR) inside the same medium called (TIR) eg optical fibre
19 Electromagnetic Spectrum: travel in vacuum, oscillating electric and magnetic fields
←λ (decrease) and f (increase) λ (increases) and f (decrease)→
Gammas X-Rays Ulra violet Visible Infrared Micro Radio waves
rays rays (light) rays rays waves
20 Gamma rays: for killing cancer cells Visible light: light rays, monochromatic means one colour
X-rays: in medicine Infrared: remote controls, treatment of muscular pain
UV rays: for sun tan and sterilization Micro waves: international communication, mobile phones
of medical instruments Radio waves: radio and television communication
21 Colours of visible light Violet Indigo Blue Green Yellow Orange Red
-7
VIBGYO R wavelengths 4×10 m 7×10-7m
22 Speed of light waves or In air: 3×108m/s In water: In glass:
8
electromagnetic waves 2.25×10 m/s 2×108m/s
23 Light wave Transverse electromagnetic waves
24 Sound wave are particles of the medium come close to each other → compression
longitudinal waves particles of the medium move away → rarefaction
25 Echo 2× v is the speed of sound waves,
= d is the distance in meters between source and the
reflection surface and t is the time for echo
26 Properties of sound Pitch is similar to the frequency of the wave
waves Loudness is similar to the amplitude of the wave
27 Speed of sound waves Air : Water: Concrete : Steel:
330-340 m/s 1400 m/s 5000 m/s 6000–7000 m/s

Page 3