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A LEVEL
PHYSICS
DERIVATIONS
40 of the most important
derivations for A Level Physics

PhysicsOnline.com Physics Online

I have brief derivations for forty of the most important equations that you may come
across during your A Level Physics course. Some of these are listed in the specification,
many have come up in previous exam questions and the others just help you understand
the underlying physics.

Derivation | Period of a Pendulum

Don’t forget that I also have short videos where I explain each of these derivations in a
little more detail at ALevelPhysicsOnline.com. There are also worksheets (with varying
levels of support) you can use when you’re revising these.

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AL e v e l P h ys i c s O nl i ne .c om / d e r i v a ti o n s
Derivations | Contents

▪ Electrical Power ▪ Capacitors in Series

▪ Resistors in Series ▪ Capacitors in Parallel

▪ Resistors in Parallel ▪ Closest Approach

▪ Two Resistors in Parallel ▪ Coulombs Law

▪ Drift Velocity ▪ Gravitational Attraction

▪ Gravitational Potential Energy ▪ Gravitational Field Strength

▪ Kinetic Energy ▪ Radial Path of a Particle

▪ Elastic Potential Energy ▪ Velocity Selector

▪ Kinetic Energy and Momentum ▪ Centripetal Acceleration

▪ Power, Force and Velocity ▪ Orbital Period

▪ suvat Equations ▪ SHM

▪ Newton's 2nd Law ▪ Total Energy of a Satellite

▪ Upthrust ▪ Escape Velocity

▪ Springs in Series ▪ Period of a Pendulum

▪ Springs in Parallel ▪ Period of a Spring-Mass

▪ Diffraction Grating ▪ Ideal Gas Equation

▪ Double Slit ▪ Ek and Temperature

▪ Double Slit (for AQA) ▪ Kinetic theory

▪ Half-life ▪ The Parsec

▪ Capacitor Energy ▪ Specific Charge

AL e v e l P h ys i c s O nl i ne .c om / d e r i v a ti o n s
 Derivation | Electrical Power
Derive the series of expressions linking power, current, potential P = I2 R
difference and resistance: P = V2/ R

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Resistors in Series
Derive the expression for calculating the total resistance
RT = R1 + R2 + … + Rn
of resistors in series:

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Resistors in Parallel
Derive the expression for calculating the total resistance 1 ___
___ 1 1 1
= + ___ + … + ___
of resistors in parallel: RT R1 R2 Rn

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Two Resistors in Parallel
R1 R2
Derive the expression for calculating the total resistance RT = ________
of resistors in parallel: R1 + R2

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Drift Velocity
Derive the expression for calculating the drift velocity of charge carriers: I = Ane v

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Potential Energy
Derive the expression for change in gravitational potential
Ep = m g h
energy in a uniform field:

ALevelPhysicsOnline.com/derivations
 Derivation | Kinetic Energy
Derive the expression for kinetic energy: Ek = ½ m v2

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Elastic Potential Energy
Derive the expression for elastic potential energy stored in a spring: Ee = ½ k x2

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Energy and Momentum
p2
Derive the expression for kinetic energy in terms of momentum and mass: Ek = ____
2m

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Power, Force and Velocity
Derive the expression for power in terms of force and velocity: P = Fv

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | ‘suvat’ Equations
Derive the ‘suvat’ equations for an object v = u + at s = u t + ½a t2
undergoing uniform acceleration: s = ½ (u + v) t v2 = u2 + 2 a s

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Newton’s 2nd Law
Derive the expression to show how the resultant force is related Δp
to the rate of change of momentum: F = ____
Δt

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Upthrust
Derive the expression for the upthrust on an object submerged in a fluid: U = ρVg

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Springs in Series
1 ___
___ 1 1 1
Derive the expression for calculating the combined = + ___ + … + ___
stiffness of springs in series: kT k1 k2 kn

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Springs in Parallel
Derive the expression for calculating the combined
kT = k1 + k2 + … + kn
stiffness of springs in parallel:

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Diffraction Grating
Derive the expression for a diffraction grating: d sinθ = n λ

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Double Slit
ax
Derive the expression for the fringe spacing from a double slit: λ = ___
D

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Double Slit (AQA)
λD
Derive the expression for the fringe spacing from a double slit: w = ___
s

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Half-life
Derive the expression for the half-life of a radioactive isotope ln2
in terms of its decay constant: t½ = ____
λ

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Energy in a Capacitor
Derive the series of expressions for the energy stored by a capacitor E = ½CV2
to its capacitance, charge stored and potential difference: E = ½Q2/ C

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Capacitors in Series
Derive the expression for calculating the total capacitance 1 ___
___ 1 1 1
= + ___ + … + ___
of capacitors in series: CT C1 C2 Cn

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Capacitors in Parallel
Derive the expression for calculating the total capacitance
CT = C1 + C2 + … + Cn
of capacitors in parallel:

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Closest Approach
Derive the expression for the distance of closest approach qQ
r = _________
for an alpha particle to a nucleus: 2 π ε0 m v2

ALevelPhysicsOnline.com/derivations
 Derivation | Coulomb’s Law
qQ
Derive Coulomb’s law between two charged objects: F = _______
4 π ε0 r2

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Gravitational Attraction
- GM m
Derive Newton’s law of universal gravitation between two objects: F = ________
r2

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Gravitational Field Strength
Derive the expression for gravitational field strength at a -GM
g = ______
distance from a massive body: r2

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Radial Path
Derive the expression for the radius of a path of a p
charged particle in a magnetic field: r = ____
BQ

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Velocity Selector
Derive the expression for the velocity of a particle travelling in a E
straight line in a magnetic and electric field: v = ___
B

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Centripetal Acceleration
v2
Derive the expression for centripetal acceleration: a = ____
r

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Orbital Period and Radius
Derive the expression for the relationship between orbital 4 π2 r3
______
T2 =
period squared and orbital radius cubed: GM

ALevelPhysicsOnline.com/derivations
 Derivation | Simple Harmonic Motion
Show that for a system undergoing simple harmonic motion: a ∝ -x

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Total Energy of a Satellite
- Gm M
Derive the expression for the total energy of a satellite: ET = ________
2R

AL e ve l Ph y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Escape Velocity
2GM
______
Derive the expression for the escape velocity from a planet: v=
r

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Period of a Pendulum
l
Derive the expression for time period for a pendulum undergoing SHM: T = 2 π ___
g

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Period of a Spring-Mass
m
Derive the expression for period for a spring-mass system undergoing SHM: T = 2 π ___
k

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Ideal Gas Equation
pV = nRT
Derive the ideal gas equation:
pV = NkT

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Ek and Temperature
Derive the expression relating the kinetic energy of a particle 3
to the temperature of an ideal gas: Ek = __ k T
2

ALevelPhysicsOnline.com/derivations
 Derivation | Kinetic Theory
1 _
Derive the kinetic theory formula for an ideal gas: p V = __ N mc2
3

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | The Parsec
Derive the parsec and show that: 1 pc = 3.1 x 1016 m

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s
 Derivation | Specific Charge on an e-
e
__ 2V
Derive the expression for the specific charge on an electron: = ____
m B2 r2

AL e ve l P h y s i c s O n l i n e .c o m / d e r i v a t i o n s