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SACE Stage 2 Physics formula sheet: every equation and constant, and what is missing

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Formula sheet

The card below opens today's Year 12 Physics paper with the sheet in a drawer. The contents follow in our own layout. The SACE Board prints the equations in a two-column table with notes such as "r = distance between charges", so check the symbols against the Board's Physics external assessment page and its past papers before you rely on a line.

Formula sheet

Year 12 Physics

Open formula sheet

Symbols of common quantities

Acceleration a, charge q, displacement s, electric current I, electromotive force ε, force F, frequency f, kinetic energy E_K, length l, magnetic field B, magnetic flux Φ, mass m, momentum p, period T, potential difference ΔV, time t, velocity v and wavelength λ. Vectors are drawn with arrows, and the arrow is left off when only the magnitude is used.

Magnitude of physical constants

QuantitySymbolValueUnit
acceleration due to gravity at the Earth's surfaceg9.80m s⁻²
constant of universal gravitationG6.67×10⁻¹¹N m² kg⁻²
speed of light in a vacuumc3.00×10⁸m s⁻¹
Coulomb's law constantfrac14πε08.99×10⁹N m² C⁻²
constant for the magnetic field around a conductorfracμ02π2.00×10⁻⁷T m A⁻¹
Planck's constanth6.63×10⁻³⁴J s
charge of an electrone1.60×10⁻¹⁹C
mass of an electronme9.11×10⁻³¹kg
mass of a protonmp1.67×10⁻²⁷kg
mass of EarthME5.97×10²⁴kg
mean radius of EarthRE6.37×10⁶m

Topic 1: Motion and relativity

v=v_0+atvelocity after time t
s=v_0t+\frac{1}{2}at^2displacement
v^2=v_0^2+2asvelocity and displacement
v_H=v\cos\theta\quad v_V=v\sin\thetahorizontal and vertical components, θ to the horizontal
E_K=\frac{1}{2}mv^2kinetic energy
a=\frac{\Delta v}{\Delta t}acceleration
F=maNewton's second law
F=\frac{\Delta p}{\Delta t}force as rate of change of momentum
p=mvmomentum
a=\frac{v^2}{r}centripetal acceleration
v=\frac{2\pi r}{T}speed in a circle
g=\frac{F}{m}gravitational field strength
F=G\frac{m_1m_2}{r^2}law of universal gravitation
v=\sqrt{\frac{GM}{r}}orbital speed
T^2=\frac{4\pi^2}{GM}r^3Kepler's third law
\gamma=\frac{1}{\sqrt{1-\frac{v^2}{c^2}}}Lorentz factor
t=\gamma t_0time dilation, with t₀ the interval in the moving frame
l=\frac{l_0}{\gamma}length contraction, with l₀ the length in the moving object's frame
p=\gamma m_0vrelativistic momentum

Topic 2: Electricity and magnetism

F=\frac{1}{4\pi\varepsilon_0}\frac{q_1q_2}{r^2}Coulomb's law
E=\frac{F}{q}electric field
E=\frac{1}{4\pi\varepsilon_0}\frac{q}{r^2}field of a point charge
W=q\Delta Vwork done on a charge
E=\frac{\Delta V}{d}field between parallel plates
a=\frac{qE}{m}acceleration of a charge
B=\frac{\mu_0}{2\pi}\frac{I}{r}field near a conductor
F=IlB\sin\thetaforce on a current-carrying conductor
F=qvB\sin\thetaforce on a moving charge
r=\frac{mv}{qB}radius of a charge's circular path
T=\frac{2\pi m}{qB}period of that motion
E_K=\frac{q^2B^2r^2}{2m}kinetic energy at the edge of a cyclotron
f=\frac{1}{T}frequency and period
\Phi=BA_{\perp}magnetic flux
\varepsilon=\frac{N\Delta\Phi}{\Delta t}induced emf
\frac{V_{input}}{V_{output}}=\frac{N_{input}}{N_{output}}transformer

Topic 3: Light and atoms

v=f\lambdawave speed
W=hf_0work function and threshold frequency
d\sin\theta=m\lambdadiffraction grating
E_{K\ max}=eV_smaximum kinetic energy and stopping voltage
\Delta y=\frac{\lambda L}{d}double slit fringe spacing
E_{K\ max}=hf-Wphotoelectric equation
E=hfphoton energy
f_{max}=\frac{e\Delta V}{h}maximum X-ray frequency
p=\frac{h}{\lambda}photon momentum
E=\Delta mc^2mass-energy equivalence

Table of prefixes

PrefixSymbolValue
teraT10¹²
gigaG10⁹
megaM10⁶
kilok10³
centic10⁻²
millim10⁻³
microμ10⁻⁶
nanon10⁻⁹
picop10⁻¹²
femtof10⁻¹⁵

Quarks

QuarkSymbolCharge (e)
Upu+2/3
Downd−1/3
Stranges−1/3
Charmc+2/3
Topt+2/3
Bottomb−1/3

How the exam works with the sheet

The SACE Board's 2025 Physics examination lists a formula sheet among its materials, and the 2026 timetable has Physics on Thursday 5 November:

ItemDetail
Subject code2PYI20
Total time130 minutes
Total marks120 (2025 paper)
ProvidedQuestion booklet and the Physics formula sheet
CalculatorsApproved calculators may be used
WeightingThe examination is Assessment Type 3, worth 30% of the Stage 2 subject

The Board's exam rules page mentions handwritten notes only for the mathematics subjects, so check your exam attendance slip before assuming you can bring anything into Physics. See the QCE Physics sheet guide and the WACE Physics sheet guide for how the other states compare.

What is not on the SACE Physics formula sheet

  • Ohm's law and circuit equations. There is no V = IR, no power formula, and no resistors in series or parallel.
  • Energy and work. Only kinetic energy appears: no gravitational potential energy mgh and no W = Fs.
  • Impulse and conservation of momentum. F = Δp ÷ Δt and p = mv are given, but not the collision principle.
  • Refraction and Snell's law. Light is covered by interference and the photoelectric effect only.
  • Heat and thermodynamics. None.
  • Radioactive decay and half-life. The sheet has E = Δmc² but nothing on decay.
  • Torque and static equilibrium. Not given.

How to use the sheet in the exam

  1. Read the notes beside each equation: they define symbols such as t₀, l₀ and V_s that other sheets leave out.
  2. Write the equation, then the substitution, then the answer with its unit.
  3. Match the topic. Relativity lines use γ, while the circular-motion lines use r.
  4. Learn the circuit and energy equations the sheet omits.

Example 1: time dilation

A particle moves at 0.60c and its internal clock measures 4.0 μs between events. First the Lorentz factor, then t = γt₀:

\gamma=\frac{1}{\sqrt{1-0.60^2}}=\frac{1}{0.80}=1.25,\qquad t=1.25\times4.0=5.0\ \mu\text{s}

The sheet's note says t₀ is the interval in the moving frame, which is the particle's own clock.

Example 2: a cyclotron

A proton circles in a field of 1.2 T. The period line T = 2πm ÷ qB gives:

T=\frac{2\pi\times1.67\times10^{-27}}{1.60\times10^{-19}\times1.2}=5.47\times10^{-8}\ \text{s}

The frequency is f = 1 ÷ T = 1.83 × 10⁷ Hz, about 18 MHz, which does not depend on the proton's speed.

Example 3: double slit

Light of wavelength 600 nm passes through slits 0.20 mm apart onto a screen 1.5 m away. The fringe spacing line gives:

\Delta y=\frac{\lambda L}{d}=\frac{600\times10^{-9}\times1.5}{0.20\times10^{-3}}=4.5\times10^{-3}\ \text{m}

That is 4.5 mm between bright fringes. Practise wave problems in the Light and Energy course.

Practise with the sheet open

Our Year 12 Physics daily paper is a short timed paper of 8 questions worth 25 to 35 marks. It is not a SACE paper. Sit it as a short mock with the sheet in the drawer. Year 11 Physics covers the earlier topics.

Exam answers

The answers and a worked mark scheme come with today's paper once it is marked. They show which line of the sheet each question wanted. We do not publish official answers, past paper answers or leaked papers.

Common questions

Do you get a formula sheet in SACE Physics?
Yes. The SACE Board lists a formula sheet among the materials for the Stage 2 Physics examination.
How long is the SACE Physics exam?
130 minutes. The 2025 paper had 120 marks.
Is V = IR on the SACE Physics formula sheet?
No. The sheet has no circuit equations, so learn them.
Does the sheet define the symbols?
Yes, for many equations. It also lists symbols of common quantities at the top.
How much is the exam worth?
Assessment Type 3, the examination, is 30% of the subject.

Revision cards

Say the answer first, then flip the card to check it.

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Australia · SACESACE Physics: Stage 2 exam, topics and worked examplesSACE Physics for Stage 2: the three topics, the 130-minute external exam and its sheet, how marks combine, SATAC, the 2026 date and a daily trial paper.