Australian examsTCE

TCE Physics (PHY415115) information sheet: every equation and constant

Published 12 Nov 20266 min read

Year 12 Physics

Year 11 Physics

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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. TASC publishes the sheet on the TASC Physics page, so check any value against it before you rely on it.

Formula sheet

Year 12 Physics

Open formula sheet

Prefixes

Prefix	Value	Prefix	Value
tera (T)	10¹²	milli (m)	10⁻³
giga (G)	10⁹	micro (μ)	10⁻⁶
mega (M)	10⁶	nano (n)	10⁻⁹
kilo (k)	10³	pico (p)	10⁻¹²
centi (c)	10⁻²	femto (f)	10⁻¹⁵

Trigonometry identities

\sin\theta=\frac{\text{opposite}}{\text{hypotenuse}}sine

\cos\theta=\frac{\text{adjacent}}{\text{hypotenuse}}cosine

\tan\theta=\frac{\text{opposite}}{\text{adjacent}}tangent

\frac{a}{\sin A}=\frac{b}{\sin B}=\frac{c}{\sin C}sine rule

a^2=b^2+c^2-2bc\cos Acosine rule

Motion in a straight line, momentum, force and centripetal force

v=u+atfinal velocity

s=ut+\frac{1}{2}at^2displacement

2as=v^2-u^2velocity and displacement

p=mvmomentum

F_{net}=\frac{\Delta mv}{\Delta t}=manet force

F_c=\frac{mv^2}{r}=\frac{4\pi^2mr}{T^2}centripetal force

a_c=\frac{v^2}{r}=\frac{4\pi^2r}{T^2}centripetal acceleration

Work, energy and power

W=\Delta\text{Energy}=Fs\cos\thetawork

E_p=mghgravitational potential energy

E_K=\frac{1}{2}mv^2kinetic energy

P=\frac{W}{t}power

Gravity and Kepler's law

F_g=mgweight

F_g=\frac{Gm_1m_2}{r^2}law of universal gravitation

g=\frac{F_g}{m}gravitational field strength, defined

g=\frac{GM}{r^2}field strength from a mass

T^2=\frac{4\pi^2r^3}{GM}Kepler's third law

Quantity	Symbol	Value	Unit
gravitational constant	G	6.67×10⁻¹¹	N m² kg⁻²
gravitational acceleration	g	9.81	m s⁻²

Electrostatics

E=\frac{F_E}{q}electric field, defined

E=\frac{k_Eq}{r^2}field of a point charge

E=\frac{V}{d}field between plates

F_E=\frac{k_Eq_1q_2}{r^2}Coulomb's law

V=\frac{\Delta E_p}{q}potential difference

Quantity	Symbol	Value	Unit
electrostatic constant	kE	9.00×10⁹	N m² C⁻²
elementary charge	e	1.60×10⁻¹⁹	C
mass of an electron	me	9.11×10⁻³¹	kg
mass of a proton	mp	1.67×10⁻²⁷	kg

Magnetism

F_B=IlB\sin\thetaforce on a conductor

F_B=qvB\sin\thetaforce on a moving charge

B=\frac{k_BI}{r}field near a long wire

F_B=\frac{k_BI_1I_2l}{r}force between parallel wires

r=\frac{mv\sin\theta}{qB}radius of a charge's path

v=\frac{E}{B}velocity selector

Quantity	Symbol	Value	Unit
magnetic constant	kB	2×10⁻⁷	N A⁻²

Induction

emf=vlB\sin\thetainduced emf of a moving conductor

V=IROhm's law

P=VIelectrical power

Oscillations and waves

f=\frac{1}{T}frequency and period

v=\lambda fwave speed

\theta_i=\theta_rlaw of reflection

\frac{\sin\theta_i}{\sin\theta_r}=\frac{v_i}{v_r}=nrefraction and refractive index

n_i\sin\theta_i=n_r\sin\theta_rSnell's law

w=\frac{\lambda x}{d}double slit fringe spacing

v=\sqrt{\frac{T}{\mu}}wave speed on a string

\lambda=2lstanding wave: string fixed at both ends, and pipe open at both ends

\lambda=4lstanding wave: pipe closed at one end

Quantity	Symbol	Value	Unit
speed of light	c	3.00×10⁸	m s⁻¹
speed of sound in air at 20 °C	v	344	m s⁻¹

Quantum

E=hfphoton energy

E_K(max)=eV=hf-Wphotoelectric effect

p=\frac{h}{\lambda}de Broglie wavelength

Quantity	Symbol	Value	Unit
Planck constant	h	6.63×10⁻³⁴	J s (4.14 × 10⁻¹⁵ eV s)
elementary charge	e	1.60×10⁻¹⁹	C
Wien's constant	λpT	2.90×10⁻³	m K

Nuclear

E=mc^2mass-energy equivalence

-\frac{dN}{dt}=\lambda N=Aactivity

\lambda=\frac{0.693}{T_{\frac{1}{2}}}decay constant

\frac{N}{N_0}=e^{-\lambda t}=\frac{A}{A_0}=\frac{\text{count rate}}{\text{original count rate}}decay

N=\frac{mN_A}{M}number of nuclei, with m in grams

Quantity	Symbol	Value	Unit
mass of an electron	me	9.11×10⁻³¹	kg (0.000549 u)
mass of a proton	mp	1.67×10⁻²⁷	kg (1.007276 u)
mass of a neutron	mn	1.67×10⁻²⁷	kg (1.008665 u)
mass to energy conversion	1 u	931	MeV
Avogadro constant	NA	6.02×10²³	mol⁻¹

How the exam works with the sheet

TASC's external assessment specifications for Physics set a written exam of three hours, with an extra 15 minutes of preparation time for notes. They list the Physics Information Sheet and a TASC-approved calculator as the approved materials:

Part	Marks	Time	Course content
Section A	45	About 45 minutes	Newtonian mechanics, including gravitational fields
Section B	45	About 45 minutes	Electricity and magnetism
Section C	45	About 45 minutes	Wave motion
Section D	45	About 45 minutes	The wave-particle nature of light, atomic and nuclear physics

Each section has five to seven compulsory questions. The specifications are dated March 2023, so check your own exam instructions. Compare the SACE Physics sheet guide and the QCE Physics sheet guide for other states.

What is not on the TASC Physics information sheet

Symbol definitions and units. Only a few lines say "defined", and none gives units.
Resistance in series and parallel. V = IR and P = VI are given, but not the combination rules.
Heat and thermal physics. There are no equations for heating or change of state.
Special relativity. No Lorentz factor or time dilation.
Impulse and conservation of momentum. Only p = mv and F = Δmv ÷ Δt are given.
Lenses, mirrors and the Doppler effect. Not printed.
Energy levels and the Rydberg formula. Photon energy and the photoelectric line are given, but nothing for atomic spectra.

How to use the sheet in the exam

During preparation time, find the section for each topic and note any equation you will not recognise.
Write the equation, then the substitution with units.
Convert units first: nm to m, eV to J, grams to kilograms.
Take constants from the sheet: g is 9.81 m s⁻², c is 3.00 × 10⁸ m s⁻¹ and h is 6.63 × 10⁻³⁴ J s or 4.14 × 10⁻¹⁵ eV s.

Example 1: refraction

Light in air meets glass of refractive index 1.52 at an angle of incidence of 40°. Snell's law line gives the angle of refraction:

\sin\theta_r=\frac{n_i\sin\theta_i}{n_r}=\frac{1.00\times\sin40^\circ}{1.52}=0.423,\quad\theta_r=25.0^\circ

The light bends towards the normal as it enters the denser glass. Try values in the Refraction Calculator.

Example 2: the photoelectric effect

Ultraviolet light of wavelength 250 nm falls on a metal with a work function of 4.30 eV. First the frequency, then the electron volt form of h from the sheet:

f=\frac{c}{\lambda}=\frac{3.00\times10^{8}}{250\times10^{-9}}=1.20\times10^{15}\ \text{Hz},\quad E_K(max)=hf-W=4.14\times10^{-15}\times1.20\times10^{15}-4.30=0.67\ \text{eV}

The sheet's second value of h saves you converting joules to electron volts.

Example 3: radioactive decay

Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5730 years. The decay constant and the decay line give the fraction left after 10,000 years:

\lambda=\frac{0.693}{5730}=1.21\times10^{-4}\ \text{per year},\quad\frac{N}{N_0}=e^{-\lambda t}=e^{-1.21}=0.298

About 30% of the nuclei remain. Practise decay sums in the Nuclear 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 TASC paper. Sit it as a short mock with the sheet in the drawer. Year 11 Physics covers 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 TCE Physics?

Yes. TASC lists the Physics Information Sheet as approved material in the external exam.

How long is the TCE Physics exam?

Three hours, plus 15 minutes of preparation time.

How many sections does the exam have?

Four, each with 45 marks and about 45 minutes.

Is Ohm's law on the sheet?

Yes: V = IR and P = VI. The series and parallel rules are not.

What value of g does the sheet give?

9.81 m s⁻².

Revision cards

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

Where to go next

Solve it
Refraction Calculator
Use Snell's law to find angles, refractive index and the critical angle
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Nuclear Energy
Fission, fusion and the future of clean energy
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