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

x
=
t

vave = average velocity

x = displacement

The definition of average velocity.

t = elapsed time

vave

(vi + vf )
=
2

vave = average velocity

vi = initial velocity
vf = final velocity

a=

v
t

Another definition of the average velocity, which works

when a is constant.

a = acceleration
v = change in velocity

The definition of acceleration.

t = elapsed time

x = displacement

1
x = vi t + a(t)2
2

vi = initial velocity
t = elapsed time

Use this formula when you

dont have vf .

a = acceleration

x = displacement

1
x = vf t a(t)2
2

vf = final velocity
t = elapsed time

Use this formula when you

dont have vi .

a = acceleration

pg. 1

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SAT Physics Practice Test: Kinematics
SAT Physics Practice Test: Newton's Laws
SAT Physics Practice Test: Work, Energy, and Power
SAT Physics Practice Test: Linear Momentum
SAT Physics Practice Test: Curved and Rotational Motion
SAT Physics Practice Test: Oscillations
SAT Physics Practice Test: Electric Forces and Fields
SAT Physics Practice Test: Electric Potential and Capacitance
SAT Physics Practice Test: Direct Current Circuits
SAT Physics Practice Test: Magnetic Forces and Fields
SAT Physics Practice Test: Electromagnetic Induction
SAT Physics Practice Test: Waves
SAT Physics Practice Test: Optics
SAT Physics Practice Test: Thermal Physics
SAT Physics Practice Test: Modern Physics
SAT Physics Subject Test: Full-length Practice Test 1
SAT Physics Subject Test: Full-length Practice Test 2

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SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference

Kinematics (continued)

vf = final velocity

vf2 = vi2 + 2ax

vi = initial velocity
a = acceleration

Use this formula when you

dont have t.

x = displacement

Dynamics
F = force

F = ma

m = mass
a = acceleration

W = weight

W = mg

m = mass
g = acceleration due
to gravity

f = friction force

f = N

= coefficient
of friction
N = normal force

p = momentum

p = mv

m = mass
v = velocity

Newtons Second Law. Here,

F is the net force on the mass
m.

The weight of an object with

mass m. This is really just
Newtons Second Law again.

The Physics is Fun equation. Here, can be either

the kinetic coefficient of friction k or the static coefficient
of friction s .

The definition of momentum.

It is conserved (constant) if
there are no external forces on
a system.

pg. 2

SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference

Dynamics (continued)

p = F t

p = change
in momentum
F = applied force

F t is called the impulse.

t = elapsed time

Work, Energy, and Power

W = work

W = F d cos
or

W = Fk d

1
KE = mv 2
2

F = force
d = distance
= angle between F
and the direction
of motion
Fk = parallel force

KE = kinetic energy
m = mass
v = velocity

Work is done when a force

is applied to an object as it
moves a distance d. Fk is the
component of F in the direction that the object is moved.

The definition of kinetic energy for a mass m with velocity v.

PE = potential energy
m = mass

PE = mgh

g = acceleration due
to gravity

The potential energy for a

mass m at a height h above
some reference level.

h = height

pg. 3

SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference

Work, Energy, Power (continued)

W = (KE)

W = work done
KE = kinetic energy

E = total energy

E = KE + PE

KE = kinetic energy
PE = potential energy

P = power

W
P =
t

W = work
t = elapsed time

The work-energy theorem:

the work done by the net force
on an object equals the change
in kinetic energy of the object.

The definition of total (mechanical) energy. If there

is no friction, it is conserved
(stays constant).

Power is the amount of work

done per unit time (i.e., power
is the rate at which work is
done).

Circular Motion

ac = centripetal acceleration

v2
ac =
r

v = velocity
r = radius

Fc = centripetal force

mv
Fc =
r

m = mass
v = velocity
r = radius

The centripetal acceleration

for an object moving around
in a circle of radius r at velocity v.

The centripetal force that is

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

pg. 4

SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference

Circular Motion (continued)
v = velocity

2r
v=
T

f=

r = radius
T = period

f = frequency

1
T

T = period

This formula gives the velocity v of an object moving once

around a circle of radius r in
time T (the period).

The frequency is the number

of times per second that an
object moves around a circle.

Torques and Angular Momentum

= torque

= rF sin
or

= rF

r = distance (radius)
F = force
= angle between F
and the lever arm
F = perpendicular force

L = angular momentum

L = mvr

m = mass
v = velocity
r = radius

Torque is a force applied at a

distance r from the axis of rotation. F = F sin is the
component of F perpendicular to the lever arm.

Angular momentum is conserved (i.e., it stays constant)

as long as there are no external torques.

pg. 5

SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference

Springs

Fs = spring force

Fs = kx

k = spring constant
x = spring stretch or
compression

PEs = potential energy

PEs =

1 2
kx
2

k = spring constant
x = amount of
spring stretch
or compression

Hookes Law. The force is

opposite to the stretch or compression direction.

The potential energy stored

in a spring when it is either stretched or compressed.
Here, x = 0 corresponds to
the natural length of the
spring.

Gravity

Fg = force of gravity

m1 m2
Fg = G 2
r

G = a constant
m1 , m2 = masses
r = distance of
separation

Newtons Law of Gravitation:

this formula gives the attractive force between two masses
a distance r apart.

Electric Fields and Forces

Fe = electric force

q1 q2
Fe = k 2
r

k = a constant
q1 , q2 = charges
r = distance of
separation

Coulombs Law. This formula gives the force of attraction or repulsion between two
charges a distance r apart.

pg. 6

SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference

Electric Fields and Forces (continued)
F = electric force

F = qE

E = electric field
q = charge

E = electric field

E=k

q
r2

k = a constant
q = charge
r = distance of
separation

V
E=
d

V =

W
q

E = electric field
V = voltage
d = distance

V = potential difference
W = work
q = charge

A charge q, when placed in an

electric field E, will feel a force
on it, given by this formula
(q is sometimes called a test
charge, since it tests the electric field strength).
This formula gives the electric field due to a charge q at
a distance r from the charge.
Unlike the test charge, the
charge q here is actually generating the electric field.
Between two large plates of
metal separated by a distance
d which are connected to a
battery of voltage V , a uniform electric field between the
plates is set up, as given by
this formula.
The potential difference V
between two points (say, the
terminals of a battery), is defined as the work per unit
charge needed to move charge
q from one point to the other.

Circuits
V = voltage

V = IR

I = current
R = resistance

Ohms Law. This law gives

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

pg. 7

SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference

Circuits (continued)
P = IV
or

P = V 2 /R
or

P = I 2R

Rs =
R1 + R2 + . . .

P = power
I = current
V = voltage
R = resistance

Rs = total (series)
resistance
R1 = first resistor
R2 = second resistor
...

1
=
Rp

Rp = total (parallel)
resistance
R1 = first resistor

1
1
+
+...
R1
R2

R2 = second resistor
...

q = charge

q = CV

C = capacitance
V = voltage

All of these power formulas

are equivalent and give the
power used in a circuit resistor
R. Use the formula that has
the quantities that you know.

When resistors are placed end

to end, which is called in series, the effective total resistance is just the sum of the individual resistances.

When resistors are placed side

by side (or in parallel), the
effective total resistance is the
inverse of the sum of the reciprocals of the individual resistances (whew!).

This formula is Ohms Law

for capacitors. Here, C is a
number specific to the capacitor (like R for resistors), q is
the charge on one side of the
capacitor, and V is the voltage across the capacitor.

pg. 8

SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference

Magnetic Fields and Forces

F = force on a wire
I = current in the wire
L = length of wire

F = ILB sin

B = external magnetic field

= angle between the
current direction and
the magnetic field

F = force on a charge
q = charge

F = qvB sin

v = velocity of the charge

B = external magnetic field
= angle between the
direction of motion and
the magnetic field

This formula gives the force

on a wire carrying current I
while immersed in a magnetic
field B. Here, is the angle
between the direction of the
current and the direction of
the magnetic field ( is usually 90 , so that the force is
F = ILB).

The force on a charge q as it

travels with velocity v through
a magnetic field B is given by
this formula. Here, is the
angle between the direction of
the charges velocity and the
direction of the magnetic field
( is usually 90 , so that the
force is F = qvB).

Waves and Optics

v = wave velocity

v = f

= wavelength
f = frequency

v=

c
n

v = velocity of light
c = vacuum light speed
n = index of refraction

This formula relates the wavelength and the frequency of a

wave to its speed. The formula works for both sound
and light waves.
When light travels through a
medium (say, glass), it slows
down. This formula gives the
speed of light in a medium
that has an index of refraction
n. Here, c = 3.0 108 m/s.

pg. 9

SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference

Waves and Optics (continued)

n1 = incident index

n1 sin 1 = n2 sin 2

1 = incident angle
n2 = refracted index
2 = refracted angle

1
1
1
+
=
do
di
f

do = object distance
di = image distance
f = focal length

m=

di
do

m = magnification
di = image distance
do = object distance

Snells Law. When light

moves from one medium (say,
air) to another (say, glass)
with a different index of refraction n, it changes direction (refracts). The angles are
taken from the normal (perpendicular).

This formula works for lenses

and mirrors, and relates the
focal length, object distance,
and image distance.

The magnification m is how

much bigger (|m| > 1) or
smaller (|m| < 1) the image
is compared to the object. If
m < 0, the image is inverted
compared to the object.

Heat and Thermodynamics

Q = mc T

Q = heat added
or removed
m = mass of substance
c = specific heat
T = change in
temperature

The specific heat c for a substance gives the heat needed

to raise the temperature of a
mass m of that substance by
T degrees. If T < 0, the
formula gives the heat that
has to be removed to lower the
temperature.

pg. 10

SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference

Heat and Thermodynamics (continued)

Q = ml

Q = heat added
or removed
m = mass of substance
l = specific heat
of transformation

U = change in
internal energy

U = Q W

Q = heat added
W = work done
by the system

Eeng =

W
100
Qhot

Eeng = % efficiency of
the heat engine
W = work done
by the engine
Qhot = heat absorbed
by the engine

When a substance undergoes

a change of phase (for example, when ice melts), the temperature doesnt change; however, heat has to be added (ice
melting) or removed (water
freezing). The specific heat
of transformation l is different
for each substance.

The first law of thermodynamics. The change in internal energy of a system is the
heat added minus the work
done by the system.

A heat engine essentially converts heat into work. The

engine does work by absorbing heat from a hot reservoir
and discarding some heat to
a cold reservoir. The formula
gives the quality (efficiency)
of the engine.

Pressure and Gases

F
P =
A

P = pressure
F = force
A = area

The definition of pressure. P

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

pg. 11

SAT Subject Physics Formula Reference

Pressure and Gases (continued)

P = pressure

PV
= constant
T

V = volume
T = temperature

The Ideal Gas Law. For

ideal gases (and also for
real-life gases at low pressure),
the pressure of the gas times
the volume of the gas divided
by the temperature of the gas
is a constant.

Modern Physics and Relativity

E = photon energy

E = hf

h = a constant
f = wave frequency

h
p

= matter wavelength
h = a constant
p = momentum

=p

1
1 (v/c)2

= the relativistic factor

v = speed of moving
observer
c = speed of light

The energy of a photon is

proportional to its wave frequency; h is a number called
Plancks constant.

A particle can act like a wave

with wavelength , as given by
this formula, if it has momentum p. This is called waveparticle duality.

The relativistic factor is

the amount by which moving
clocks slow down and lengths
contract, as seen by an observer compared to those of
another observer moving at
speed v (note that 1).

pg. 12