SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference

This guide is a compilation of about fifty of the most important physics formulas to know
for the SAT Subject test in physics. (Note that formulas are not given on the test.) Each
formula row contains a description of the variables or constants that make up the formula,
along with a brief explanation of the formula.

Kinematics

vave = average velocity

∆x The definition of average ve-
vave = ∆x = displacement
∆t locity.
∆t = elapsed time

vave = average velocity Another definition of the av-

(vi + vf )
vave = vi = initial velocity erage velocity, which works
2
vf = final velocity when a is constant.

a = acceleration
∆v
a= ∆v = change in velocity The definition of acceleration.
∆t
∆t = elapsed time

∆x = displacement
1 vi = initial velocity Use this formula when you
∆x = vi ∆t + a(∆t)2 don’t have vf .
2 ∆t = elapsed time
a = acceleration

∆x = displacement
vf = final velocity
1 Use this formula when you
∆x = vf ∆t − a(∆t)2 ∆t = elapsed time don’t have vi .
2
a = acceleration

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 SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference
Kinematics (continued)

vf = final velocity
vi = initial velocity Use this formula when you
vf2 = vi2 + 2a∆x
a = acceleration don’t have ∆t.
∆x = displacement

Dynamics

F = force
Newton’s Second Law. Here,
F = ma m = mass F is the net force on the mass
a = acceleration m.

W = weight
The weight of an object with
W = mg m = mass mass m. This is really just
g = acceleration due Newton’s Second Law again.
to gravity

f = friction force The “Physics is Fun” equa-

tion. Here, µ can be either
µ = coefficient
f = µN the kinetic coefficient of fric-
of friction
tion µk or the static coefficient
N = normal force
of friction µs .

p = momentum The definition of momentum.

m = mass It is conserved (constant) if
p = mv
there are no external forces on
v = velocity
a system.

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 SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference
Dynamics (continued)

∆p = change
in momentum
∆p = F ∆t F ∆t is called the impulse.
F = applied force
∆t = elapsed time

Work, Energy, and Power

W = work
F = force Work is done when a force
W = F d cos θ
d = distance is applied to an object as it
or moves a distance d. Fk is the
θ = angle between F
W = Fk d component of F in the direc-
and the direction
tion that the object is moved.
of motion
Fk = parallel force

KE = kinetic energy The definition of kinetic en-

1
KE = mv 2 m = mass ergy for a mass m with veloc-
2
v = velocity ity v.

PE = potential energy
m = mass The potential energy for a
PE = mgh g = acceleration due mass m at a height h above
to gravity some reference level.
h = height

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 SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference
Work, Energy, Power (continued)

The “work-energy” theorem:

W = work done the work done by the net force
W = ∆(KE)
KE = kinetic energy on an object equals the change
in kinetic energy of the object.

E = total energy The definition of total (“me-

chanical”) energy. If there
E = KE + PE KE = kinetic energy
is no friction, it is conserved
PE = potential energy (stays constant).

P = power Power is the amount of work

W done per unit time (i.e., power
P = W = work
∆t is the rate at which work is
∆t = elapsed time
done).

Circular Motion

ac = centripetal acceleration The “centripetal” acceleration

v2 for an object moving around
ac = v = velocity
r in a circle of radius r at veloc-
r = radius ity v.

Fc = centripetal force The “centripetal” force that is

2
mv m = mass needed to keep an object of
Fc =
r v = velocity mass m moving around in a
circle of radius r at velocity v.
r = radius

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 SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference
Circular Motion (continued)

v = velocity This formula gives the veloc-

2πr ity v of an object moving once
v= r = radius
T around a circle of radius r in
T = period
time T (the period).

1 f = frequency The frequency is the number

f= of times per second that an
T T = period
object moves around a circle.

Torques and Angular Momentum

τ = torque
τ = rF sin θ r = distance (radius) Torque is a force applied at a
distance r from the axis of ro-
or F = force
tation. F⊥ = F sin θ is the
τ = rF⊥ θ = angle between F component of F perpendicu-
and the lever arm lar to the lever arm.
F⊥ = perpendicular force

L = angular momentum Angular momentum is con-

m = mass served (i.e., it stays constant)
L = mvr
v = velocity as long as there are no exter-
nal torques.
r = radius

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 SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference
Springs

Fs = spring force
“Hooke’s Law”. The force is
Fs = kx k = spring constant opposite to the stretch or com-
x = spring stretch or pression direction.
compression

The potential energy stored

PEs = potential energy
in a spring when it is ei-
1 2 k = spring constant ther stretched or compressed.
PEs = kx
2 x = amount of Here, x = 0 corresponds to
spring stretch the “natural length” of the
or compression spring.

Simple Harmonic Motion

r Ts = period of motion The period of the simple har-

m monic motion of a mass m at-
Ts = 2π k = spring constant
k tached to an ideal spring with
m = attached mass spring constant k.

s Tp = period of motion
l The period of the simple har-
Tp = 2π l = pendulum length monic motion of a mass m on
g
g = acceleration due an ideal pendulum of length l.
to gravity

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 SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference
Gravity

Fg = force of gravity
Newton’s Law of Gravitation:
m1 m2 G = a constant
Fg = G 2 this formula gives the attrac-
r m1 , m2 = masses tive force between two masses
r = distance of a distance r apart.
separation

Electric Fields and Forces

F = electric force
“Coulomb’s Law”. This for-
q1 q2 k = a constant
F =k 2 mula gives the force of attrac-
r q1 , q2 = charges tion or repulsion between two
r = distance of charges a distance r apart.
separation

A charge q, when placed in an

F = electric force electric field E, will feel a force
E = electric field on it, given by this formula
F = qE
(q is sometimes called a “test”
q = charge
charge, since it tests the elec-
tric field strength).

E = electric field This formula gives the elec-

k = a constant tric field due to a charge q at
q a distance r from the charge.
E=k q = charge
r2 Unlike the “test” charge, the
r = distance of charge q here is actually gen-
separation erating the electric field.

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 SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference
Electric Fields and Forces (continued)

This formula gives the elec-

UE = electric PE
tric potential energy for two
k = a constant charges a distance r apart.
q1 q2
UE = k q1 , q2 = charges For more than one pair of
r
r = distance of charges, use this formula for
separation each pair, then add all the
UE ’s.

The potential difference ∆V

between two points is defined
∆V = potential difference as the negative of the work
done by the electric field per
−WE ∆UE WE = work done by E field
∆V = = unit charge as charge q moves
q q UE = electric PE from one point to the other.
q = charge Alternately, it is the change
in electric potential energy per
unit charge.

V = electric potential This formula gives the electric

potential due to a charge q at
q k = a constant
V =k a distance r from the charge.
r q = charge For more than one charge, use
r = distance of this formula for each charge,
separation then add all the V ’s.

Between two large plates of

metal separated by a distance
E = electric field
V d which are connected to a
E= V = voltage battery of voltage V , a uni-
d
d = distance form electric field between the
plates is set up, as given by
this formula.

Circuits

“Ohm’s Law”. This law gives

V = voltage
the relationship between the
V = IR I = current battery voltage V , the current
R = resistance I, and the resistance R in a
circuit.

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 SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference
Circuits (continued)

P = IV
P = power All of these power formulas
or
I = current are equivalent and give the
P = V 2 /R power used in a circuit resistor
V = voltage
or R. Use the formula that has
R = resistance the quantities that you know.
P = I 2R

Rs = total (series) When resistors are placed end

resistance to end, which is called “in se-
Rs =
R1 = first resistor ries”, the effective total resis-
R1 + R2 + . . . R2 = second resistor tance is just the sum of the in-
... dividual resistances.

Rp = total (parallel) When resistors are placed side

1 by side (or “in parallel”), the
= resistance
Rp effective total resistance is the
R1 = first resistor
1 1 inverse of the sum of the re-
+ +... R2 = second resistor
ciprocals of the individual re-
R1 R2 ... sistances (whew!).

This formula is “Ohm’s Law”

for capacitors. Here, C is a
q = charge
number specific to the capac-
q = CV C = capacitance itor (like R for resistors), q is
V = voltage the charge on one side of the
capacitor, and V is the volt-
age across the capacitor.

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 SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference
Magnetic Fields and Forces

This formula gives the force

F = force on a wire on a wire carrying current I
I = current in the wire while immersed in a magnetic
L = length of wire field B. Here, θ is the angle
F = ILB sin θ B = external magnetic field
between the direction of the
current and the direction of
θ = angle between the the magnetic field (θ is usu-
current direction and ally 90◦ , so that the force is
the magnetic field F = ILB).

The force on a charge q as it

F = force on a charge travels with velocity v through
q = charge a magnetic field B is given by
v = velocity of the charge this formula. Here, θ is the
F = qvB sin θ angle between the direction of
B = external magnetic field
the charge’s velocity and the
θ = angle between the direction of the magnetic field
direction of motion and (θ is usually 90◦ , so that the
the magnetic field force is F = qvB).

Waves and Optics

This formula relates the wave-

v = wave velocity
length and the frequency of a
v = λf λ = wavelength wave to its speed. The for-
f = frequency mula works for both sound
and light waves.

When light travels through a

v = velocity of light medium (say, glass), it slows
c down. This formula gives the
v= c = vacuum light speed
n speed of light in a medium
n = index of refraction that has an index of refraction
n. Here, c = 3.0 × 108 m/s.

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 SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference
Waves and Optics (continued)

“Snell’s Law”. When light

moves from one medium (say,
n1 = incident index air) to another (say, glass)
θ1 = incident angle with a different index of re-
n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2 fraction n, it changes direc-
n2 = refracted index
tion (refracts). The angles are
θ2 = refracted angle
taken from the normal (per-
pendicular).

do = object distance This formula works for lenses

1 1 1 and mirrors, and relates the
+ = di = image distance
do di f focal length, object distance,
f = focal length and image distance.

The magnification m is how

m = magnification much bigger (|m| > 1) or
di smaller (|m| < 1) the image
m=− di = image distance
do is compared to the object. If
do = object distance m < 0, the image is inverted
compared to the object.

Heat and Thermodynamics

The specific heat c for a sub-

Q = heat added stance gives the heat needed
or removed to raise the temperature of a
m = mass of substance mass m of that substance by
Q = mc ∆T
c = specific heat ∆T degrees. If ∆T < 0, the
formula gives the heat that
∆T = change in
has to be removed to lower the
temperature
temperature.

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 SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference
Heat and Thermodynamics (continued)

When a substance undergoes

a change of phase (for exam-
Q = heat added ple, when ice melts), the tem-
or removed perature doesn’t change; how-
Q = ml m = mass of substance ever, heat has to be added (ice
l = specific heat melting) or removed (water
of transformation freezing). The specific heat
of transformation l is different
for each substance.

∆U = change in The “first law of thermody-

internal energy namics”. The change in inter-
∆U = Q − W Q = heat added nal energy of a system is the
W = work done heat added minus the work
by the system done by the system.

A heat engine essentially con-

Eeng = % efficiency of verts heat into work. The
the heat engine engine does work by absorb-
W ing heat from a hot reservoir
Eeng = × 100 W = work done
Qhot by the engine and discarding some heat to
Qhot = heat absorbed a cold reservoir. The formula
by the engine gives the quality (“efficiency”)
of the engine.

Pressure and Gases

P = pressure The definition of pressure. P

F is a force per unit area exerted
P = F = force
A by a gas or fluid on the walls
A = area
of the container.

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 SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference
Pressure and Gases (continued)

The “Ideal Gas Law”. For

“ideal” gases (and also for
P = pressure
PV real-life gases at low pressure),
= constant V = volume the pressure of the gas times
T
T = temperature the volume of the gas divided
by the temperature of the gas
is a constant.

Modern Physics and Relativity

E = photon energy The energy of a photon is

E = hf proportional to its wave fre-
h = a constant
quency; h is a number called
f = wave frequency “Planck’s constant”.

The “photoelectric effect” for-

KEmax = max kinetic energy mula. If light of frequency f is
shined on a metal with “work
h = a constant
KEmax = hf − φ function” φ, and hf > φ, then
f = light frequency electrons are emitted from the
φ = work function metal. The electrons have ki-
of the metal netic energies no greater than
KEmax .

A particle can act like a wave

λ = matter wavelength with wavelength λ, as given by
h
λ= h = a constant this formula, if it has momen-
p
p = momentum tum p. This is called “wave-
particle” duality.

The relativistic factor γ is

the amount by which moving
γ = the relativistic factor
1 clocks slow down and lengths
γ=p v = speed of moving contract, as seen by an ob-
1 − (v/c)2 observer server compared to those of
c = speed of light another observer moving at
speed v (note that γ ≥ 1).

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