ADVANCED

PLACEMENT PHYSICS 1 TABLE OF INFORMATION & EQUATIONS

CONSTANTS AND CONVERSION FACTORS
Proton mass, mp = 1.67 x 10-27 kg Electron charge magnitude, e = 1.60 x 10-19 C
Neutron mass, mn = 1.67 x 10-27 Coulomb’s law constant, k = 1/4π𝜀 0 = 9.0 x 109
kg N•m2/C2
Electron mass, me = 9.11 x 10-31 Universal gravitational constant, G = 6.67 x 10-11
kg m3/kg•s2
Speed of light, c = 3.00 x 108 m/s Acceleration due to gravity at Earth’s surface, g = 9.8
m/s2

meter, m kelvin, K watt, W degree Celsius, ˚C
UNIT kilogram, kg hertz, Hz coulomb, C
SYMBOLS second, s newton, N volt, V
ampere, A joule, J ohm, Ω

PREFIXES
VALUES OF TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS FOR COMMON ANGLES
Factor Prefix Symbol
𝜃 0˚ 30˚ 37˚ 45˚ 53˚ 60˚ 90˚
1012 tera T
sin𝜃 0 1/2 3/5 2/2 4/5 3/2 1
109 giga G
106 mega M cos𝜃 1 3/2 4/5 2/2 3/5 1/2 0
103 kilo k tan𝜃 0 3/3 ¾ 1 4/3 3 ∞
10 -2 centi c
10 -3 milli m
10-6 micro 𝜇
10 -9 nano n
10 -12 pico p


The following conventions are used in this exam.
I. The frame of reference of any problem is assumed to be inertial unless otherwise
stated.
II. Assume air resistance is negligible unless otherwise stated.
III. In all situations, positive work is defined as work done on a system.
IV. The direction of current is conventional current: the direction in which positive
charge would drift.
V. Assume all batteries and meters are ideal unless otherwise stated.

1
 ADVANCED PLACEMENT PHYSICS 1 EQUATIONS, EFFECTIVE 2015

MECHANICS
Equation Usage
Δ𝑥 Calculate average velocity
𝑣!"# =
Δ𝑡
Calculate average acceleration
Δ𝑣
𝑎!"# = Calculate acceleration
Δ𝑡 a = acceleration
A =amplitude
Σ𝑡 𝑡!"# d = distance
𝑎= =
𝐼 𝐼 E = energy
𝑣! = 𝑣!! + 𝑎! 𝑡 Kinematic equations for describing linear f = frequency
motion with constant acceleration in one F = force
1 and two dimensions. I = rotational inertia
𝑥 = 𝑥! + 𝑣!! 𝑡 + 𝑎! 𝑡 !
2 K =kinetic energy
k = spring constant
!
𝑣!! = 𝑣!! + 2𝑎! (𝑥 − 𝑥! ) L = angular momentum
ℓ = length
𝑥 = 𝐴𝑐𝑜𝑠(2𝜋𝑓𝑡) m = mass
1 ! Kinematic equations for describing P =power
𝜃 = 𝜃! + 𝜔! 𝑡 + 𝛼𝑡
2 angular motion with constant angular p = momentum
acceleration. r = radius or separation
𝜔 = 𝜔! + 𝛼𝑡 T = period
t = time
𝜔! = 𝜔!! + 2𝛼! (𝜃 − 𝜃! ) U = potential energy
𝐹! Calculate gravitational force on an object V = volume
𝑔 = with mass m in a gravitational field of
𝑚 v = speed
strength g in the context of the effects of W = work done on a system
a net force on objects and systems. x = position
𝐹! ≤ 𝜇 𝐹! Make claims about various contact forces y = height
between objects based on the 𝛼 = angular acceleration
𝐹! = 𝑘 𝑥 microscopic cause of these forces. 𝜇 = coefficient of friction
Explain contact forces (tension, friction, 𝜃 = angle
normal, spring) as arising from 𝜌 = density
interatomic electric forces and that they 𝜏 = torque
therefore have certain directions. 𝜔 = angular speed
Σ𝐹 𝐹!"# If an object of interest interacts with
𝑎 = = several other objects, the net force is the
𝑚 𝑚
vector sum of the individual forces.
𝑚! 𝑚! Use Newton’s law of gravitation to
𝐹! = 𝐺
𝑟! calculate the gravitational force that two
objects exert on each other and use that
force in contexts other than orbital
motion.
Calculate gravitational force between

2
 two objects and use that force in contexts
involving orbital motion.
𝑣! Calculate acceleration for situations where there is both a radial and
𝑎! = tangential acceleration for an object moving in a circular path.
𝑟
1 Determine the change in kinetic energy of an object given the forces on
𝐾 = 𝑚𝑣 !
2 the object and the displacement of the object.

Δ𝐸 = 𝑊 = 𝐹∥ 𝑑 = 𝐹𝑑𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
1 Calculate the total energy of a system.
𝐾 = Ι𝜔!
2 Predict changes in the total energy of a system due to changes in
position and speed of objects or frictional interactions within the
system.
Δ𝑈! = 𝑚𝑔Δ𝑦

1
𝑈! = 𝑘𝑥 !
2

𝐺𝑚! 𝑚!
𝑈! = −
𝑟
2𝜋 1 Calculate and/or describe potential energy, the internal energy of
𝑇= =
𝜔 𝑓 systems, and changes in kinetic energy and potential energy of a
system.

𝑙
𝑇! = 2𝜋 Calculate power, defined as the rate of energy transfer into, out of, or
𝑔 within a system.

𝑚
𝑇! = 2𝜋
𝑘

Δ𝐸
𝑃=
Δ𝑡
𝑚 Calculate momentum.
𝑝=
𝑉

𝑝 = 𝑚𝑣

∆𝑝 = 𝐹∆𝑡
𝜏 = 𝑟! 𝐹 = 𝑟𝐹𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 Calculate torque
𝐿 = Ι𝜔 Use the torque exerted on an object to calculate angular momentum,
the magnitude of angular momentum, and change in angular
Δ𝐿 = 𝜏Δ𝑡 momentum.
𝐿 = 𝑚𝑣𝑟

3
 ADVANCED PLACEMENT PHYSICS 1 EQUATIONS

ELECTRICITY
Equation Usage
𝑞! 𝑞! Calculate the magnitude of an A = area
𝐹! = 𝑘
𝑟! electric field (Coulumb’s Law) F = force
Δ𝑞 Calculate conservation of I = current
𝐼= ℓ = length
Δ𝑡 electric charge
𝜌ℓ Calculate resistivity of matter P = power
𝑅= q = charge
𝐴
ΔV Describes the conservation of R = resistance
𝐼= r = separation
𝑅 electric charge in electrical
circuits (Kirchhoff’s junction t = time
𝑅! = 𝑅! rule) V = electric potential
𝜌 = resistivity
!

1 1
=
𝑅! 𝑅!
!
𝑃 = 𝐼Δ𝑉 Describe conservation of
energy in electrical circuits
(Kirchoff’s loop rule)


WAVES
Equation Usage f = frequency
Calculate the wavelength of a v = speed
𝑣 periodic wave 𝜆 = wavelength
𝜆=
𝑓


GEOMETRY AND TRIGONOMETRY
Equation Usage
A = bh Area of a rectangle
!
A = ! 𝑏ℎ Area of a triangle A = area
C = circumference
𝐴 = 𝜋𝑟 ! Area of a circle
V = volume
𝐶 = 2𝜋𝑟 Circumference of a circle
S = surface area
𝑉 = ℓ𝑤ℎ Volume of a rectangular solid b = base
𝑉 = 𝜋𝑟 ! ℓ Volume of a cylinder h = height
𝑆 = 2𝜋𝑟ℓ + 2𝜋𝑟 ! Surface area of a cylinder ℓ = length
4 Volume of a sphere
𝑉 = 𝜋𝑟 ! 𝑤 = width
3 Surface area of a sphere r = radius
𝑆 = 4𝜋𝑟 !

4
Pythagorean theorem
Calculate the value of the 𝑐 ! = 𝑎! + 𝑏!
angles of a right triangle 𝑎
sinθ =
𝑐
𝑏
cosθ =
𝑐
𝑎
tanθ =
𝑏