This is the complete formula reference for WACE Year 12 Physics. Includes the formulas on the SCSA Formula and Data Sheet plus the five they do not provide.
Mechanics (Year 11 + 12)
| Formula | What it does |
|---|
| v = u + at | Final velocity from initial, acceleration, time |
| v^2 = u^2 + 2as | Velocity from displacement |
| s = ut + 1/2 at^2 | Displacement from time |
| F = ma | Newton's second law |
| F_g = mg | Weight |
| p = mv | Linear momentum |
| Impulse = F t = change in p | Impulse-momentum theorem |
| KE = 1/2 m v^2 | Kinetic energy |
| PE = mgh | Gravitational PE near Earth |
| F = mv^2 / r (NOT on SCSA sheet) | Centripetal force |
Gravity and orbits (Unit 3)
| Formula | What it does |
|---|
| F = G m1 m2 / r^2 | Newton's law of gravitation |
| g = GM / r^2 | Gravitational field strength |
| v_orbit = sqrt(GM / r) | Orbital velocity |
| T^2 = 4 pi^2 r^3 / GM | Kepler's third law |
| v_escape = sqrt(2GM / r) | Escape velocity |
| U = -GMm / r | Gravitational potential energy |
Special relativity (Unit 3)
| Formula | What it does |
|---|
| gamma = 1 / sqrt(1 - v^2/c^2) (NOT on SCSA sheet, memorise as shortcut) | Lorentz factor |
| t = gamma t0 | Time dilation |
| L = L0 / gamma | Length contraction |
| m = gamma m0 | Relativistic mass |
| E = mc^2 | Mass-energy equivalence |
Electromagnetism (Unit 4)
| Formula | What it does |
|---|
| F = qE | Force on a charge in an E field |
| F = qvB sin(theta) | Force on a moving charge in B field |
| F = BIl sin(theta) | Force on a current-carrying wire |
| EMF = -N (d phi / dt) | Faraday's law of induction |
| V = IR | Ohm's law |
| P = IV = I^2 R = V^2 / R | Electrical power |
| V_s / V_p = N_s / N_p | Transformer voltage ratio |
| I_p V_p = I_s V_s | Transformer power conservation |
Modern physics (Unit 4)
| Formula | What it does |
|---|
| E = hf | Energy of a photon |
| E = hc / lambda (NOT on SCSA sheet, derivable) | Energy from wavelength |
| E_K_max = hf - W | Photoelectric kinetic energy |
| lambda = h / p | de Broglie wavelength |
| hf = E_n - E_m | Atomic spectra (energy level transitions) |
| 1 eV = 1.6 x 10^-19 J (NOT on SCSA sheet, memorise) | Electronvolt conversion |
Useful constants
| Constant | Value |
|---|
| Speed of light c | 3.00 x 10^8 m/s |
| Planck's constant h | 6.63 x 10^-34 J s |
| Gravitational constant G | 6.67 x 10^-11 N m^2 / kg^2 |
| Charge of electron e | 1.60 x 10^-19 C |
| Mass of electron | 9.11 x 10^-31 kg |
| Mass of proton | 1.67 x 10^-27 kg |
| Earth radius | 6.37 x 10^6 m |
| Earth mass | 5.97 x 10^24 kg |
The 5 formulas SCSA does NOT give you
- Lorentz factor (gamma). Used as shorthand for time dilation, length contraction, and relativistic mass.
- Centripetal force F = mv^2 / r. Strictly derivable from F=ma but you need it instantly.
- Energy in eV: 1 eV = 1.6 x 10^-19 J. Photoelectric questions often use eV.
- E = hc / lambda. Combination of E = hf and c = f lambda. Memorise as combo.
- Capacitor charge: Q = CV. Some Unit 4 questions use it indirectly.
Print and pin this
Print this page. Stick it in your Physics folder. Refer to it before every test and revision session. For the weekly study cadence that builds physics fundamentals into automatic recall, see our how to study Year 12 Physics post.
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