Important Equations in Physics for IGCSE course

General Physics:

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
seconds
2 For acceleration ‘a’ − u is the initial velocity, v is the
=
final velocity and t is the time.
3 Graph Area of a rectangular shaped graph In velocity-time graph the area
= base × height. under the graph is the total

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distance covered by an object.
Area of triangular shaped graph =
½ × base × height
4 Weight and mass w is the weight in newton (N), m
is the mass in kg and g is
= ×
acceleration due to gravity = 10
m/s2
5 Density ‘ρ’ in kg/m3 = m is the mass and V is the volume

6 Force F in newton (N) = × m is the mass and a is the

acceleration
7 Terminal Velocity ℎ ( )= ( )
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 = × F is the force and d is the
distance from the pivot
10 Law of moment or =
equilibrium: => × = ×

11 Work done W joules (J) = × F is the force and d is the

distance covered by an object
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 m is the mass (kg) and g is the
= × ×ℎ
joules (J) acceleration due to gravity and 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

=

=
16 Pressure p in pascal (Pa) F is the force in newton(N) and A
= is the area in m2
17 Pressure p due to liquid ρ is the density in kg/m3, g is the
acceleration due to garvity and h
= × ×ℎ
is the height or depth of liquid in
meters.
18 Atmospheric pressure P=760mmHg = 76cm Hg =1.01x105Pa

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 Thermal Physics:

1 Pressure and volume relationship pV=constant p1 and p2 are the two pressures in Pa
(Boyle’s law) × = × and V1 and V2 are the two volumes in m3
2 Thermal Expansion (Linear) L =  ×Lo ×
Lo is the original length in meters,
 is the change in temperature in oC,
L is the change in length in meters (L1- Lo) and
 is the linear expansivity of the material
3 Thermal Expansion (Cubical)
V =  Vo 

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Vo is the original volume in m3,
 is the change in temperature in oC,
V is the change in volume in m3 (V1- Vo) and
 is the cubical expansivity of the material.
4 Relationship between linear and  = 3
cubical expansivities
5 Charle’s Law: V is the volume in m3 and T is the
=
Volume is directly proportional to temperature in Kelvin (K).
absolute temperature
=
∝

6 Pressure Law: = p is the pressure in Pa and T is the

Pressure of a gas is directly temperature in Kelvin (K).
proportional to the absolute =
temperature
∝
7 Gas Law: In thermal physics the symbol θ is used
=
of celsius scale and T is used for Kelvin
= scale.
8 Specific Heat Capacity: c is the specific heat capacity in J/kgoC,
The amount of heat required to = Q is the total heat in joules (J),
×∆
raise the temperature of 1 kg mass m is the mass in kg and
by 1oC. Δθ is the change in temperature
9 Thermal Capacity: amount of heat Thermal capacity=m×c The unit of thermal capacity is J/oC.
require to raise the temperature of ℎ =
a substance of any mass by 1oC ∆
10 Specific latent heat of fusion Lf is the specific latent heat of fusion in
(from Ice to liquid) = J/kg or J/g,
Q is the total heat in joules (J),
m is the mass of liquid change from ice
in kg or g.
11 Specific latent heat of vaporization Lv is the specific latent heat of
(from liquid to vapour) = vaporization in J/kg or J/g,
Q is the total heat in joules (J),
m is the mass of vapour change from
liquid in kg or g.
12 Thermal or heat transfer In solid = conduction
In liquid and gas = convection and also convection current
In vacuum = radiation
13 Emitters and Radiators Dull black surface = good emitter, good radiator, bad reflector
Bright shiny surface = poor emitter, poor radiator, good reflector

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 Waves, light and sound:

1 Wave equation 1 = × v is the speed of wave in m/s

f is the frequency in Hz
λ is the wavelength in meters
2 Wave equation 2 1 T is the time period of wave in
=
seconds
3 Movement of the particles Longitudinal waves=> back and forth in the direction of the
of the medium waves
Transverse waves=> perpendicular to the direction of the waves
4 Law of reflection Angle of incidence i = angel of reflection
=

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5 Refraction From lighter to denser medium → light bend towards the normal
From denser to lighter medium →light bend away from the
normal
6 Refractive index n ∠ Refractive index has no unit
=
∠
7 Refractive index n ℎ
=
ℎ ℎ
8 Image from a plane mirror Virtual, upright, same size and laterally inverted,
same distance from the mirror inside
9 Image from a convex lens When close: virtual, enlarge, upright
When far: real, small, upside down
10 Image from a concave lens Virtual, upright, small
11 Critical angle When light goes from denser to lighter medium, the incident
angle at which the reflected angle is 90o,is called critical angle.
12 Total internal When light goes from denser to lighter medium, the refracted ray
reflection(TIR) bend inside the same medium then this is called (TIR)
13 Electromagnetic Spectrum:→ this way the frequency decreases and wavelength increases
Gamma rays ↔ X-rays ↔ UV ↔ Visible light ↔ IR ↔ Micro waves ↔ Radio waves
14 Colours of visible VIBGYOR (from bottom-up)
spectrum (light)
15 Speed of light In air: 3×108m/s In glass: 2×108m/s
16 Light wave Electromagnetic waves
17 Sound wave longitudinal waves
particle of the medium come close → compression
particles of the medium far apart → rarefaction
18 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
19 Properties of sound waves Pitch means the frequency of the wave
Loudness means the amplitude of the wave
20 Speed of sound waves Air : 330-340 m/s
Water: 1400 m/s
Concrete : 5000 m/s
Steel: 6000 – 7000 m/s

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 Electricity and magnetism:

1 Ferrous Materials Attracted by magnet and can be Eg. iron, steel, nickel and cobalt
magnetized
2 Non-ferrous materials Not attracted by magnet and copper, silver, aluminum, wood, glass
cannot be magnetized
3 Electric field intensity force exerted by the field on a unit E is the electric field intensity in N/C
charge placed at a point around
another charge =

4 Current: Rate of flow of I is the current in amperes (A),

charges in a conductor = Q is the charge in coulombs (C)

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t is the time in seconds (s)
5 Current In circuits the current always choose the easiest path
6 Ohms law Voltage across the resistor is V is the voltage in volts (V),
directly proportional to current, I is the current in amperes (A) and
V⋉ I or R is resistance in ohms (Ω)
=
7 Voltage Energy per unit charge Q is the charge in coulombs (C),
V is the voltage in volts (V)
= Energy is in joules (J)
8 E.M.F. e.m.f. = lost volts + terminal potential difference
Electromotive force EMF=Ir+IR
9 Resistance and resistivity R is the resistance a resistor,
= L is the length of a resistor in meters
ρ is the resistivity of resistor in Ω.m A is the area of cross-section of a
resistor in m2
10 Circuit In series circuit→ the current stays the same and voltage divides
In parallel circuit → the voltage stays the same and current divides
11 Resistance in series = + +
1 1 1 1 R, R1, R2 and R3 are resistances of
12 Resistance in parallel
= + + resistor in ohms
13 Potential divider
=
14 Potential divider
=( )× =( )×
+ +
15 Power P is the power in watts (W)
= × = × =
16 Power The unit of energy is joules (J)
=
17 Transformer Vp is the voltage in primary coil,
= Vs is the voltage in secondary coil
np is the no of turns in primary and
ns is the no of turns in secondary
18 Transformer Power of primary coil = power of secondary coil
=
× = ×
=
Ip is the current in primary coil and Is the current in secondary coil
19 Cathode rays Stream of electrons emitted from heated metal (cathode). This process is
called thermionic emission.
20

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Atomic Physics:

1 Alpha particles Helium nucleus

α-particles Stopped by paper
Highest ionization potential
2 Beta-particles Fast moving electrons
β-particles Stopped by aluminum
Less ionization potential
3 Gamma-particles Electromagnetic radiation
γ-rays Only stopped by thick a sheet of lead
Least ionization potential
4 Half-life Time in which the activity or mass becomes half

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5 Atomic symbol A is the total no of
protons and neutrons
Z is the total no of protons
6 Isotopes Same number of protons but different number of
neutrons

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