A Physics Cheat Sheet is a quick reference guide that contains the most frequently used physics equations and formulas, as well as a list of physics constants. It is a handy tool for students and enthusiasts alike, who are looking to perform calculations and problem-solving tasks more efficiently and accurately. The cheat sheet is organized by topic, such as angular motion, Carnot engines, fluids, forces, moments of inertia, linear motion, simple harmonic motion, thermodynamics, and work and energy .
Angular motion equations are relevant wherever you have rotational motions around an axis. When the object has rotated through an angle of ? with an angular velocity of ? and an angular acceleration of ?, then you can use these equations to tie these values together. You must use radians to measure the angle. Also, if you know that the distance from the axis is r, then you can work out the linear distance traveled, s, velocity, v, centripetal acceleration, ac, and force, Fc .
Carnot engines are heat engines that take heat, Qh, from a high temperature source at temperature Th and move it to a low temperature sink (temperature Tc) at a rate Qc and, in the process, do mechanical work, W. The amount of work performed in proportion to the amount of heat extracted from the heat source is the efficiency of the engine. A Carnot engine is reversible and has the maximum possible efficiency, given by the following equations. The equivalent of efficiency for a heat pump is the coefficient of performance .
Fluids are substances that flow and have no fixed shape. A volume, V, of fluid with mass, m, has density, ?. A force, F, over an area, A, gives rise to a pressure, P. The pressure of a fluid at a depth of h depends on the density and the gravitational constant, g. Objects immersed in a fluid causing a mass of weight, Wwater displaced, give rise to an upward directed buoyancy force, Fbuoyancy. Because of the conservation of mass, the volume flow rate of a fluid moving with velocity, v, through a cross-sectional area, A, is constant. Bernoullis equation relates the pressure and speed of a fluid .
Forces are any influence that causes an object to undergo a certain change. A mass, m, accelerates at a rate, a, due to a force, F, acting. Frictional forces, FF, are in proportion to the normal force between the materials, FN, with a coefficient of friction, ?. Two masses, m1 and m2, separated by a distance, r, attract each other with a gravitational force, given by the following equations, in proportion to the gravitational constant G .
The cheat sheet also includes a list of physics constants that youll find useful in a broad range of physics problems. Physics constants are physical quantities that are fixed and do not change. Some of the most commonly used physics constants include the speed of light, Planck’s constant, the gravitational constant, and the Boltzmann constant .