The University of the State of New York • The State Education Department • Albany, New York 12234 • www.nysed.

gov

Reference Tables
for Physical Science:
Physics
2025 Edition
List of Physical Constants
Name Symbol Magnitude
Acceleration due to gravity near Earth’s surface g 9.8 m/s2
Gravitational feld strength near Earth’s surface g 9.8 N/kg
Universal gravitational constant G 6.67 3 10211 N•m2/kg2
Speed of light in a vacuum c 3.00 3 108 m/s
Speed of sound in air at STP 3.31 3 10 2 m/s
1 electronvolt (eV) 1.60 3 10219 J
Electrostatic constant k 9.0 3 109 N•m2/C 2
1 elementary charge e 1.60 3 10219 C
Planck’s constant h 6.63 3 10234 J•s

Prefixes for Powers of 10 Vectors

Prefix Symbol Notation A2 5 Ax2 1 Ay2
tera T 1012
Ax
giga G 109 cos  5
A
mega M 106
Ay
kilo k 103 sin  5
A
deci d 10-1 Ay
centi c 10-2 tan 5
Ax
milli m 10-3
micro  10-6
nano n 10-9 A Ay
pico p 10-12

Ax

Physical Science: Physics Reference Tables — 2025 Edition 1

Motion and Forces

vf 1 vi a = acceleration
v 5 __ 5 _____
_ d
t 2
ac = radial acceleration during circular
Δv 5 v_____
a 5 ___
f 2 vi motion
t t
C = circumference
vf 5 vi 1 at d = displacement or distance

Fg = weight or gravitational force

d 5 vi t 1 12_ at 2
Fnet = net force

vf2 5 vi 2 1 2ad g = acceleration due to gravity or

gravitational field strength

Fnet 5 ma G = universal gravitational constant

m = mass
Fg 5 mg p = momentum
r = radius or distance between centers
Fnet t 5 mΔv
t = time interval

p 5 mv v = velocity or speed
_
v = average velocity or average speed
Gm1m_
Fg 5 _____ 2
r2 vi = initial velocity or initial speed

v2 vf = fnal velocity or fnal speed

ac 5 __
r
Δ = change
C 5 2πr

Physical Science: Physics Reference Tables — 2025 Edition 2

Energy

KE 5 12_ mv2 c = specifc heat capacity

d = displacement or distance
ΔPEg 5 mgΔh
Eother = non-mechanical energy

ET = total energy
PEs 5 12_ kx2
F = force
W 5 Fd g = acceleration due to gravity or
gravitational feld strength
Wnet 5 ΔET h = height
k = spring constant
ET 5 PE 1 KE 1 Eother
KE = kinetic energy
W Fd _ m = mass
P 5 __ 5 ___ 5 F v
t t
P = power
Q 5 mcΔT PE = potential energy

output PEg = gravitational potential energy

% efficiency 5 ______ 3 100
input
PEs = spring potential energy
Q = change in thermal energy
T = temperature
t = time interval
v = velocity or speed
_
v = average velocity or average speed
W = work

Wnet = net work

x = change in spring length from equilibrum
position
Δ = change

Physical Science: Physics Reference Tables — 2025 Edition 3

Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation

c = speed of light in a vacuum

v5f
di = distance to image
1
T 5 __
f do = distance to object

Ephoton = energy of photon

Ephoton 5 hf
F = focal length

θi 5 θr f = frequency
h = Planck’s constant
c
n 5 __
v hi = image height

ho = object height
n1sin θ1 5 n2sin θ2
n = absolute index of refraction
n2
__ v1
__ 1
__
n1 5 v2 5 2
T = period
v = velocity or speed
1 5 __
__ 1 1 __
1
F do di = wavelength
hi
__ d θ= angle
5 2 __i
ho do
θi= angle of incidence
θr= angle of refection

Physical Science: Physics Reference Tables — 2025 Edition 4

 Spectral boundaries are
not discrete, and there is
an overlap in the biological
effects between adjacent
forms of electromagnetic
radiation.
The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Cell Phone

TV,
AM
FM

Physical Science: Physics Reference Tables — 2025 Edition

Radio Microwave Infrared Ultraviolet X-ray Gamma

105 106 107 108 109 1010 1011 1012 1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 1021

Frequency (Hz)

WiFi Visible Light

(not to scale) (not to scale)
GPS Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet

1.00 3 109
5.00 3 109

3.00 3 109
4.00 3 109

2.00 3 109
6.00 3 109
5.08 3 1014
5.31 3 1014
6.00 3 1014
6.59 3 1014
7.50 3 1014

4.28 3 1014
4.80 3 1014

Bluetooth

5
Electricity

kq1q2 E = electric feld strength

Fe 5 _____
r2 Fe = electrostatic force

Fe 5 qE I = current
k = electrostatic constant
W 5 qV P = power
q = charge
V2
P 5 VI 5 I R 5 __ 2
R r = distance between centers

V2t R = resistance
W 5 Pt 5 VIt 5 I2Rt 5 ___
R Req = equivalent resistance

V 5 IR t = time interval
V = potential difference
Δq
I 5 __ W = work or electrical energy
t
Δ = change

Circuit Symbols Series Circuits Parallel Circuits

battery I 5 I1 5 I2 5 I3 5 . . . I 5 I1 1 I2 1 I3 1 . . .
12 power supply
V 5 V1 1 V2 1 V3 1 . . . V 5 V1 5 V2 5 V3 5 . . .
switch
1 5 __
__ 1 1 __
1 1 __ 1 1...
V voltmeter Req 5 R1 1 R2 1 R3 1 . . . Req R1 R2 R3

A ammeter

resistor

variable resistor

light bulb

Physical Science: Physics Reference Tables — 2025 Edition 6