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 locity.
∆t ∆t = elapsed time

vave = average velocity Another definition of the av-

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

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 .
∆t = elapsed time
2
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

2vf = vi2 + 2a∆x vi = initial velocity Use this formula when you
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
m.
a = acceleration

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 the kinetic coefficient of fric-
f = µN of friction tion µk or the static coefficient
N = normal force of friction µs .

p = momentum The definition of momentum.

It is conserved (constant) if
p = mv m = mass 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 = applied force F ∆t is called the impulse.

∆t = elapsed time

Work, Energy, and Power

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

KE = kinetic energy The definition of kinetic en-

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

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

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) on an object equals the change
KE = kinetic energy 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
(stays constant).
PE = potential energy

P = power Power is the amount of work

W done per unit time (i.e., power
P = ∆t W = work 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 = r v = velocity in a circle of radius r at veloc-
ity v.
r = radius

Fc = centripetal force The “centripetal” force that is

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

Torques and Angular Momentum

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

L = angular momentum Angular momentum is con-

m = mass served (i.e., it stays constant)
L = mvr as long as there are no exter-
v = velocity 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 k = spring constant ther stretched or compressed.
PEs = kx2 Here, x = 0 corresponds to
x = amount of the “natural length” of the
2 spring stretch spring.
or compression

Simple Harmonic Motion

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

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

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 this formula gives the attrac-
Fg = G 2 m1 , m2 = masses tive force between two masses
r a distance r apart.
r = distance of
separation

Electric Fields and Forces

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

A charge q, when placed in an

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

E = electric field This formula gives the elec-

tric field due to a charge q at
k = a constant
q a distance r from the charge.
E=k 2 q = charge Unlike the “test” charge, the
r charge q here is actually gen-
r = distance of erating the electric field.
separation

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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 For more than one pair of
UE = k q1 , q2 = charges charges, use this formula for
r r = distance of each pair, then add all the
separation UE ’s.

The potential difference ∆V

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

V = electric potential This formula gives the electric

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

Between two large plates of

metal separated by a distance
E = electric field d which are connected to a
V battery of voltage V , a uni-
E= V = voltage
d form electric field between the
d = distance 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
I, and the resistance R in a
R = resistance circuit.

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 SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference

Circuits (continued)

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

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-
tance is just the sum of the in-
R1 + R2 + . . . R2 = second resistor dividual resistances.
...

Rp = total (parallel) When resistors are placed side

1 by side (or “in parallel”), the
resistance
= R1 = first resistor effective total resistance is the
Rp inverse of the sum of the re-
11 ciprocals of the individual re-
R2 = second resistor sistances (whew!).
++...
R1R2 ...

This formula is “Ohm’s Law”

for capacitors. Here, C is a
q = charge number specific to the capac-
itor (like R for resistors), q is
q = CV C = capacitance
the charge on one side of the
V = voltage 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
while immersed in a magnetic
I = current in the wire
field B. Here, θ is the angle
L = length of wire between the direction of the
F = ILB sin θ current and the direction of
B = external magnetic field the magnetic field (θ is usu-
θ = angle between the ally 90◦ , so that the force is
current direction and F = ILB).
the magnetic field

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

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-
mula works for both sound
f = frequency and light waves.

When light travels through a

medium (say, glass), it slows
v = velocity of light down. This formula gives the
c
v= c = vacuum light speed speed of light in a medium
n that has an index of refraction
n = 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)
with a different index of re-
θ1 = incident angle fraction n, it changes direc-
n1 sin θ1 = n2 sin θ2 tion (refracts). The angles are
n2 = refracted index
taken from the normal (per-
θ2 = refracted angle pendicular).

do = object distance This formula works for lenses

111 and mirrors, and relates the
+= di = image distance focal length, object distance,
dodif and image distance.
f = focal length

The magnification m is how

much bigger (|m| > 1) or
m = magnification smaller (|m| < 1) the image
di
m=− di = image distance is compared to the object. If
do m < 0, the image is inverted
do = object distance 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 ∆T degrees. If ∆T < 0, the
c = specific heat formula gives the heat that
has to be removed to lower the
∆T = change in 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-
ple, when ice melts), the tem-
Q = heat added
perature doesn’t change; how-
or removed
ever, heat has to be added (ice
Q = ml m = mass of substance
melting) or removed (water
freezing). The specific heat
l = specific heat of transformation l is different
of transformation for each substance.

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

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

A heat engine essentially con-

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

Pressure and Gases

P = pressure The definition of pressure. P

F is a force per unit area exerted
F = force
P= by a gas or fluid on the walls
A 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 real-life gases at low pressure),
PV the pressure of the gas times
V = volume
= constant the volume of the gas divided
T T = temperature by the temperature of the gas
is a constant.

Modern Physics and Relativity

E = photon energy The energy of a photon is

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

The “photoelectric effect” for-

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

A particle can act like a wave

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

The relativistic factor γ is

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

pg. 13