CHEAT SHEET

PHYS1121: Physics 1A
University of New South Wales

1
Particle Kinematics in One
Dimension
Vector A measurement with both magnitude and
direction (e.g. Displacement)
Scalar A measurement with only magnitude (e.g.
distance)

Vector Multiplication/Division by a Scalar Only

magnitude is multiplied or divided. Direction is
reversed for negative scalars.

Final Displacement with Avg. Velocity

1
! = ! + (!" + !" )
2

Vector Components

Final Displacement with Velocity and Acceleration

Length

1
! = ! + !" + ! !
2

Final Velocity without Time

! + !

Direction

!
!
!"
= !"
+ 2! ! !

= tan!!

Objects in Freefall Acceleration is g (9.8m/s )

!
!

Unit Vectors:

Average Velocity
!"# =

Instantaneous Velocity
!"#$

2
Motion in Two and Three
Dimensions
Vector Addition Tip to Tail

Average Acceleration
!"#

!"#$ =

Projectile Motion

Position
1
! = ! + ! + !
2

Instantaneous Acceleration

= x + y

Initial Horizontal Velocity

!" = ! cos

Vector Subtraction From the negative to the

positive, or add the negative ( = + ())

Initial Vertical Velocity

!" = ! sin

Final Velocity
!" = !" + !

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CHEAT SHEET
Uniform Circular Motion

Equilibrium

Kinetic Energy

Kinetic Friction

=
= !

! ! + ! !

!
2

!
= ! =

!" = !" + !"

Particle Dynamics
st

Newtons 1 Law - In the absence of external forces,

when viewed from an inertial reference frame, an
object at rest will remain at rest and an object in
motion continues in motion with a constant velocity

!" = !"

Gravitational
=
Elastic

Work and Energy

Scalar/Dot Product
=
Work

Same Direction as Displacement

=

Different Direction to Displacement

Non-conservative Force - Work done dependent on

the motion of the object (e.g. Friction)
Conservation of Energy

!"# =

!!
!!

Mechanical Energy
!"#! = +

Work by Varying Force

1 !

Conservative Force - Work done is independent of

the path taken by an object (e.g. Gravity)

rd

Newtons 3 Law - If two objects interact, the force

that object one is exerting on object 2 is equal and
opposite to that object two is exerting on object one

nd

Newtons 2 Law - Net Force is the product of Mass

and Acceleration

Potential Energy

Circular Motion Dynamics

Relative Velocity

1
!
2

Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem

Static Friction

Period
=

! =

Friction

Overall Acceleration
|| =

= 0

Centripetal Acceleration
! =

Hookes Law

Total Energy
!"! = + + !"#

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CHEAT SHEET

Non-Conservative Force Absent

Conservation of KE (Elastic Collisions)

!"#! = 0

! = !

Non-Conservative Force Present

Perfectly Inelastic

!"! = 0

! !! + ! !! = (! + ! )!

Power

! !! + ! !! = ! !! + ! !!
and
1
1
1
1
!
!
!
!
! !!
+ ! !!
= ! !!
+ ! !!
2
2
2
2

Momentum and Collisions

Centre of Mass

Momentum
=

!" =

For Constant Force

! !
!

Instantaneous Angular Acceleration

!"#$ =

Final Angular Velocity

Final Angular Displacement

! = ! + t + t !

!!

!! = !! + 2(! ! )
Final Angular Displacement with Avg. Velocity

Arc Length

For Non-Constant Force

=

!!

Collisions

Rotation

Instantaneous Angular Velocity

Final Angular Velocity without Time

Definition
=

! = ! + t

Impulse

!"# =

Perfectly Elastic

Average Angular Velocity

=
Translational Velocity
=
Translational Acceleration

1
! = ! + (! + ! )t
2
Kinetic Energy of Rotation
! =

!
2

! !!

Conservation of Momentum (All Collisions)

! = !

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CHEAT SHEET
7

Moment of Inertia

General
!

2
!
5

!
(! + )!

Using Radius

=
Net Torque

Area Expansion
= 2!

Volume Expansion

Latent Heat
=

rd

! =

4 !
. !
!

Using Perpendicular Distance

= !

Keplers 3 Law

Gravitational Field

! !

! !"

Length Expansion

= 3
=

Torque

Thermal Properties of Matter

Gravity on Earth

Disk

= !" !

! !
!

Force Vector

Cylinder

Parallel Axis Theorem

Temperature

!" =

= !

Magnitude
! =

1
= !
2

Sphere
=

Newtons Law of Gravitation:

=

Gravity

9
Kinetic Theory and the Ideal
Gas
Pressure
=

Gravitational Potential Energy

=

! !

Ideal Gas Law:

Given Number of Moles

=

Boltzmann Constant
! =

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CHEAT SHEET

Given Number of Molecules

Isobaric
!

= !

Comparison of Gases of Equal Moles

! ! ! !
=
!
!

is constant and = !

Specific Heat of Gases

Isovolumetric
!

is constant, = ! and !"# =

Degrees of Freedom (f)

Monatomic = 3f

Diatomic

10 Heat and the First Law of

Thermodynamics

3f (T < 100K)

5f (T < 1000K)

7f (T > 1000K)

Polyatomic = Many f
1
= !
2

Thermal Processes

Adiabatic
= 0, is constant and !"# =
Isothermal

! !

Radiation
= !

First Law of Thermodynamics

!"# = +

11

Simple Harmonic Motion

General Equation
= ( + )

General
=

!
!

Oscillations

Work Done on a Gas

+2

Gamma

Conduction
=

Specific Heat at Constant Pressure

! =

Energy Transfer Mechanisms

Specific Heat at Constant Volume

! =

Heat

Equipartition of Energy

!"#

Molar Specific Heat

= !"#$%

Kinetic Theory of Gases

2 1
=
( !)
3! 2 !

Constant Pressure

!!

Acceleration
! = !

!!

!"# = 0 and is constant

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CHEAT SHEET

Angular Frequency
=

Frequency

1
=
2

Energy
!"#!

Speed of Wave on a String

1
= !
2

Forced Oscillations Resonance occurs when

frequency of driving force matches natural frequency
of oscillating object

SHM and Circular Motion Uses SHM

formulae for each direction of movement
SHM and the Pendulum
o Period
= 2
o

= 2 +

= 2

cos
2
2

Interference

12

2 =

Wave Motion

Standing Waves on a String

Wave Number

Physical Pendulum

When a pulse hits a fixed boundary, reflection

is inverted
When a pulse hits a free boundary, reflection
is not inverted
When a pulse moves from a light to a heavy
string the reflected pulse is inverted
When a pulse moves from a heavy to a light
string, the reflection is not inverted

Superposition

Velocity
= ! !

Reflection of a Pulse

Period
=

Dampened Oscillations Critical Dampening occurs

when frequency of retarding force matches natural
frequency of oscillating object.

Wave Equation
, = +

Formula
= 2 cos ()

Amplitude
= 2()

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CHEAT SHEET

Nodes

Speed of Sound

( = 0, 1, 2 )
2

Standing Waves in an Air Column

Formula

= 1, 3, 5 )
4

! =

Antinodes

Dependence on Temperature

Boundary Conditions on a String

! =
2

13

Sound Waves

= 331 1 +

Sound Wave Pressure

!"#
2

fbeat = |f1 f2|

14

!"#
4 !

= 10 log

N = kg.m/s

Work and Energy

Shock Waves

Density

g = 9.8m/s

Particle Dynamics

+ !
=

!"# = !"#

Units and Constants

Particle Kinematics in One Dimension

Doppler Effect

Without Bulk Modulus

2
2

Sound Levels in Decibels

Including Bulk Modulus

= !"# sin ( )

End Effects

Beats

In Three Dimensions

Sound Wave Displacement

, = !"# cos ( )

( = 1, 2, 3 )
2

Per Unit Area

=

! =

!
273

( = 1, 3, 5 )
4

Open Pipe

Intensity of a Sound Wave

Bulk Modulus
=

Closed Pipe

J = Nm = kg.m /s

W = J/s

1Hp = 746W

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CHEAT SHEET
Gravity

G = 6.6738 x 10

11

Nm /kg

Temperature

0C = 273K

Kinetic Theory and the Ideal Gas

R = 8.314 J/mol.K

kb = 1.38x10

Pa = kg/m.s

1atm = 101325Pa

1atm = 760mmHg

mmHg = torr

-23

J/K

Heat and The First Law of Thermodynamics

= 5.6696 x 10 W.m .K

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