Emory & Henry College

A Comprehensive Guide Through General Physics

Equations, Relations and Side Notes

Sean Collier
24 June, 2016

Note: This guide is meant to serve as a tool for reference through general physics.
Though not all-inclusive, this guide does include most formulas, relations and
explanations that a student should require throughout the coursework. This guide
includes calculus, but it is not required to understand the text.
To understand physics, one needs to understand not only which equation to use at
which time, but where that equation originated from and how it was derived. This
guide is not meant to serve as a formula sheet, but as a reference material for
students.
A Guide to Problem Solving:
1. Understand the problem
a. Physical Situation?
b. What are unknowns?
c. What are givens?
2. Devise a plan
a. Physical Laws
b. Intuition
i. Have I seen this or something like it before?
ii. Can I simplify the problem?
3. Execute the plan (dont worry about the answer right now)
a. Focus on the mathematics
4. Look back and review
a. Either move on or repeat until satisfied
-Dr. B. Douglas Edmonds

Physics Stuffs- A Comprehensive Guide

Uncertainty:

Forms:
Human Error
Being careful can reduce human Error but we can never completely rid our project
of error. There is a physical limit of uncertainty. (10^-34)
Error of measuring devices
Other errors.
Standard Deviation
How far from the mean the average is.
There is also standard deviation of the mean- This is the standard deviation of the average
of the averages.

Kinematics:

Proven facts:
x-Position: x

v-Velocity:

a- Acceleration:

#$

Jerk:

#'
#%

#%

#&
#%

How kinematics are derived:

#&

a=

+ =

+ =

#%

#$ #&

#% #$

#&

#$

= / +

= / + / + 3
3
Combination of two: + = / + 2

Do not need time for this equation.

Acceleration must be constant.

Vectors:

Normally in ijk form, where i=x component, j=y component, k=z component
To find components in a 2-dimensional system, almost always:
$ = cos
< =
Must be able to:
Add
+ = $ , < , B + $ , < , B = $ + $ , < + < , B + B =
Subtract
= $ , < , B $ , < , B = $ $ , < < , B B =
Multiply
By a Scaler- = $ , < , B = $ , < , B

Cross Multiplication- = < B B < , B $ $ B , $ < < $

= h
Results
in vector

Note: =

Dot Products - = $ $ + < < + B B = cos

Results in scaler

Thumb rule!: lay side of hand along first vector, curl fingers towards second vector, and which ever
way your thumb is pointing, that is the resultant vector! Used for cross products.

Newtons Laws:

Law of Inertia-Object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force
F=ma
Any force applied gives acceleration.

RS'& =

SX

= Y =

TUWZ
[X

Equal and opposite forces

Gravity:

TUVW

RS'& =

TUVW
SX

= Y =

TUWZ
[X

V\
V]

V\

V]

= 9.8 baX

= 9.8 baX

Frictional Forces:

Two Types:
Passive
Active

= , h h

General Forces:

Impulse: =
For constant or average force- = t
Momentum: =
: m = + =[m'Y +mnY =m'+ +mn+ ]
Impulse Momentum Theorem:
= p -Change in momentum.
As long as you include everything, this is always true.
Example:
Two carts heading towards one another(Both moving). Ground is exerting
force up, and gravity is exerting a force down; they cancel. During the
collision, the forces are equal and opposite because of Newtons third law.
If the net force is zero, then the impulse is zero,
and that means the total p is 0. Which means momentum before
equals momentum after. After the collision, they move in opposite
directions. The IMT guarantees that the initial momentum has to
equal the final momentum. (True for both inelastic and elastic.)

#&
#%

#p
#%

Collisions:

1-D Collisions
** Must be frictionless for momentum conservation **
Newtons Third law states that there are equal and opposite forces.
If rs% is 0, then momentum is conserved.

#p

= 0, therefore p(momentum) is not changing; recall 1st der. are rate of change.
Therefore we can use Conservation of Momentum:
**Try this first in every collision problem**

m = + =[m'Y +mnY =m'+ +mn+ ]

Inelastic energy is not conserved.
Elastic energy is conserved.
Cant ask you about conservation of energy unless telling you about collision.
Work:

rs% =

#%

= = cos ; where is the smallest between the two vectors.

If Force is constant, then = =
; where the delta is from the F. T. C.
Some average force times displacement.

When force and displacement in opposite directions, work is negative

When force and displacement in same direction, work is positive.
When force and displacement perpendicular (Spinning a ball on an axis)
work is 0.

(instantaneous)

Power: =

Power: =

Power: =

#%

(average)

Energies:

Kinetic Energy:

() = 3
3

Work Kinetic Energy Theorem:

= T
Potential Energy:
2
() = = 3 : Gravitational and Spring respectively
3

Work Potential Energy Theorem:

=
Work Energy Theorem:
Tricks/ Helpful Relation- =

=
3
2

=
3

3 -Translational

3 -Rotational

= = + + / = + /

Total Mechanical Energy:

h : = + = / + /
= +
=
If =0, then energy is conserved.

Conservative vs. Non-conservative Forces:

W=0, then conservative-Gravity, Electrical, Springs

W0, then not conservative-Friction
r/r./r. +/r =r/r./r. - = + =Mechanical Energy
Recall: If energy is conserved, momentum is conserved; however, if momentum is conserved, energy is
not necessarily conserved!

Rotation:

Two Types:
One is constant
Other arrives from uniform circular motion
Tangential Acceleration: =

Centripetal Acceleration: =

Kinematics hold in a spherical coordinate setting!

#%
#&
#%

=
=

=: Angular Velocity

#%
#
#%

=: Angular Acceleration

From this, you can replace x, v and a with , and in the kinematic equations.
Torque: =
Energies:
2

Rotational Kinetic Energy: S/%'%Y/r' = 3

Rotational Work: =
Rotational Power: =

Moment of Inertia:
Hoop: = 3

#$

&X

Disk: = 3

Springs:

Hook's Law: =

Spring Force: pSYrR = 3

k is Spring Constant
To find spring constant, you could be given energies, or given F and xs. You could take some
xs and find some Fs and make a line.

2
3

Harmonic Motion:

Imagine you have a mass on a spring.

If you pull that mass down and let go, the mass will bounce up and down; you can describe this
motion by SHM.
Kinematics do not work, so use this equation instead.
= + + 0,0

= + 0,0
Amplitude-A max displacement from equilibrium
Equation varies by situation. Refer to the google/textbook.
Can use sin or cos, but the phase shift must change.
Angular Frequency: = 2f

/3 =

Frequency: =

Period: =

Phase Shift=

Wave number: k =

General Equation for Harmonics

2
+

= 2

3
V

: =

: =

, h =

(3r2)

b\

b\

Velocity in an oscillating system: =

Frequency for pipe with two open ends: =

Frequency for pipe with one open end: =

Most general differential equation for an

oscillating system; solutions result in equation above.

+ + = + 2 + /3 = 0; h

Note: =

r\

( )

3
(3r2)\

and /3 =

3 /3 ; > 0 ,

= 0 ,

Thermodynamics

Specific Heat: = = + Y ,

Work done by Gas: =

,
\

In the case of constant pressure, we can rewrite this as:

First Law of Thermodynamics: Yr% = +Yr% YYr% =

Change in Entropy: = + Y = Y
,

Similarly, in the case of constant temperature of the system, we obtain:

+ #

= + Y =

+ #
Y

2 +

Second Law of Thermodynamics: 0,

Electrostatics:

ss
Coulomb's Law: =

X
SX

, h Coulomb constant =

/ = 8.85 10T23

Used to find the electric force between two charges.

Recall! This is very similar to: =

RS'&

TUVW
SX

Electric Fields:

ss
: %
%

Again, similar to: %

Types of Electric Fields

RS'&

3

3

= %

h: =

SX

h:

= 2 ; h

Helpful relation: h = 4 3 h , h

= 3 4 3 =
4 3 =

3

/
4/

Gauss' Law:

: rs% lim

Y2 m

Y =

When & 180 , h:

=

180 =

= =

When & 0 , h:
=

0 =

= =

When & 90 , h:
=

Guass Law: rs% =

90 = 0

= 0

One use is to calculate how much net charge is contained inside of any closed surface.
Note: Guass' Law and Coulomb's Law are equivalent through certain symmetries!

SX

Electric Potential:

Note: All theorems remain true in electric fields, such as the work-potential theorem mentioned
earlier! Don't forget them!

Electric Potential ():

Similarly, =

Recall =

From this, we see =

Work done by on a particle while moving from A to B ss =

By =

, we can see

The same idea applies here as with flux. When E is constant, we can remove it from the
integral, yielding = = = =

h h h

Potential due to a charged particle =

S
These definitions can be expanded to infinite dimensions either in conjunction or separately

Currents and Resistance:

: ; h h. : . . .

We can find net charge in a plane by integrating:

%
= =
Through the F.T.C., we then derive:
%

= () + 0 + = = ; h = .

Junctions:
Series Circuits
Only one path for charge to follow
Parallel Circuits
Either of two paths for charge to follow
Kirchhoff's Circuit Law: %/%' = 2 + 3 r , h

hh h

Can be expressed as =

as well as =

Second expression referred to as Ohm's Law: =

A device is said to obey this law when a current flowing through it is directly proportional to
the potential difference applied; that is to say the resistance is constant.

Power in electric circuits:

()X

= = 3 =

It must be noted that while the first equation applies for all transfers of electric energy, the
second two only apply for transfer of electric potential energy to thermal energy in a device
with resistance where energy is lost.

Circuits:

Loop Rule! h , 'n + n + # + #' = 0

More generally, the algebraic sums of the changes in potential in a complete transverse of any
loop of a circuit must be zero; this is used in circuit analysis.
Resistance Rule- If moving through the resistor in the direction of the current, it is -iR to the
original potential. If moving opposite of the current, it is +iR to the original potential.
This holds true for movement through sources of potential.
Junction Rule: The sum of the circuits entering any junction must be equivalent to the sum of
the currents leaving the junction: Yr = /%
Resistors:
To add resistors:
In series: s = 2 + 3 + +

In parallel:

T2

2
[

2
[X

++

2
[

T2

In the special case of two resistors in parallel, one can use the equation:

s =

[ [X

[ [X

Through these sums, one can break down a circuit into one s resistor and one source of voltage
regardless of how complex the original circuit is. This is an alternative for the loop rule in
circuit analysis.

Capacitance:

: = , h h
One can find capacitance by performing the following steps.
Find
Calculate the electric field E by using algebra if constant or through Gauss' Law
From E, find
Using these two terms, q and , .
Relation of charge through electric field through Gauss' Law:

=
/ = sr =

h = h
h & , h = = /
Capacitance formulae depending on plates:

Parallel-plate Capacitor : =

, h h . 1
'n
Spherical Capacitor : = 4/
; h

Isolated Sphere : = 4/ ; h h h h

; h & , h

nT'

Cylindrical Capacitor: = 2/ r() ; h h

Capacitors:
To add capacitors:

T2

In parallel: s = 2 + 3 + +
Note: Notice how these rules are exactly the same as the ones for resistors,
just remember to switch them!

++

From = , we can see =

In series:

Electric Potential (U): =

T2

X
3

=
3

= q
3

These equivalences hold regardless of the geometry and conditions

Power Relation: =

2 X
3 %

Magnetism:

Lorentz (Magnetic) Force Law: V'R = , h h

h .

Recall, = , then we can express the magnitude of the Lorentz Force as:

V'R = V'R = =
Using the thumb rule, it is easy to see that the V'R vector is always perpendicular
to the vectors &

Magnetic Fields In Circuits:

Biot-Savart Law (for a straight wire): =

Y
3[

; where h

h h .
Helpful relation between magnetism and circuits: V'R = =
Proof: Suppose V'R = .

= % = & .

=
= .

h = .
&

h = . h , V'R = =
Q.E.D.