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A-level Physics formula sheet: what each board gives you

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Formula sheet

The card below opens today's A-level Physics paper with this sheet in the drawer. It holds the data and equations that the AQA, Edexcel and OCR sheets all print, grouped in our own layout and words. Each board adds more, so check AQA's booklet, Pearson's list, OCR's booklet, Eduqas's booklet, WJEC's booklet or CCEA's sheet for your own.

Formula sheet

A-level Physics: Year 1

Open formula sheet

Data printed by all three boards

QuantitySymbolValueUnit
speed of light in a vacuumc3.00 × 10⁸m s⁻¹
Planck constanth6.63 × 10⁻³⁴J s
elementary chargee1.60 × 10⁻¹⁹C
gravitational constantG6.67 × 10⁻¹¹N m² kg⁻²
permittivity of free spaceε₀8.85 × 10⁻¹²F m⁻¹
Boltzmann constantk1.38 × 10⁻²³J K⁻¹
electron rest massmₑ9.11 × 10⁻³¹kg
acceleration of free fallg9.81m s⁻²

Waves and quantum physics

v=f\lambdawave speed
d\sin\theta=n\lambdadiffraction grating
n_1\sin\theta_1=n_2\sin\theta_2law of refraction
hf=\phi+E_{k(max)}photoelectric equation
\lambda=\frac{h}{p}de Broglie wavelength

Circular motion and oscillations

a=\frac{v^2}{r}=\omega^2rcentripetal acceleration
F=\frac{mv^2}{r}=m\omega^2rcentripetal force
a=-\omega^2xacceleration in simple harmonic motion
x=A\cos\omega tdisplacement in simple harmonic motion

Thermal physics

Q=mc\Delta\thetaenergy to change temperature
pV=NkTideal gas equation, molecules
pV=\frac{1}{3}Nm\overline{c^2}kinetic theory of gases
\frac{1}{2}m\overline{c^2}=\frac{3}{2}kTmean kinetic energy of a gas molecule

Fields and capacitors

F=\frac{Gm_1m_2}{r^2}gravitational force between two masses
g=\frac{GM}{r^2}gravitational field strength of a point mass
V=-\frac{GM}{r}gravitational potential
F=\frac{Q_1Q_2}{4\pi\varepsilon_0r^2}force between two point charges
E=\frac{Q}{4\pi\varepsilon_0r^2}electric field of a point charge
C=\frac{Q}{V}capacitance
E=\frac{1}{2}QV=\frac{1}{2}CV^2=\frac{Q^2}{2C}energy stored in a capacitor
Q=Q_0e^{-t/RC}capacitor discharge

Magnetism and nuclear physics

F=BIl\sin\thetaforce on a current in a magnetic field
\varepsilon=-N\frac{\Delta\Phi}{\Delta t}induced emf
N=N_0e^{-\lambda t}radioactive decay
T_{1/2}=\frac{\ln2}{\lambda}half-life
v=H_0dHubble's law

Where the six sheets differ

  • OCR omits the kinetic energy and pendulum equations; Edexcel omits the potential divider and internal resistance; CCEA's A2 sheet omits most mechanics and circuit equations.
  • None of the six prints a definition. They are equations and data only.
  • Option equations appear on the AQA and Eduqas sheets, but not the others.

Finding your own board's sheet

Your exam entry says which board and specification you are taking. The sheet in the card above is only the overlap of the AQA, Edexcel and OCR lists, so use it for orientation and your own board's sheet for the exam.

Constants differ in precision. The proton mass is 1.673 × 10⁻²⁷ kg on OCR and AQA but 1.67 × 10⁻²⁷ kg on Edexcel and CCEA, and the Hubble constant is 2.20 × 10⁻¹⁸ s⁻¹ on Eduqas and WJEC but about 2.4 × 10⁻¹⁸ s⁻¹ on CCEA.

Work out a photon energy from its frequency or wavelength, in units of 10^-19 J.

Press Mark to have your answer marked in the Light & Energy course.

How the boards' sheets differ

BoardSheetWhat it holds
AQAA-level Physics data and formulae (7408), version 1.5Constants and astronomical data, equations by topic, then five option sections
EdexcelList of data, formulae and relationships (9PH0), Issue 3, November 2022Fourteen data values, then equations in twelve sections from Mechanics to Oscillations
OCR AData, Formulae and Relationships Booklet (H156, H556), 8 pagesConstants, conversion factors and maths equations, then equations by module; no kinetic energy line
EduqasData Booklet, A level component 3 (2019 paper)Values and conversions, one list of equations, options A to D, and maths information
WJECData Booklet, A2 unit 3 (2019 paper)The same layout as Eduqas, without the option sections
CCEAData and formulae sheet for A2 Units 1 and 2 (APH11, APH21)Constants and a short list of "useful formulae"; the Hubble constant is given as about 2.4 × 10⁻¹⁸ s⁻¹

Of the six boards, AQA has the most options, Edexcel the lightest list and CCEA the shortest, OCR is organised by module, and Eduqas and WJEC share a layout with maths information.

Exam answers

Mark a daily paper on this site and the answers show worked steps written by us. They are not official mark schemes.

Daily papers for every board

The two physics daily papers, Physics 1 and Physics 2, work with any of the six sheets. Open the one for your board in the drawer from the board pages linked above.

Mistakes when switching between sheets

  • Learning an equation from one board's sheet and finding it absent from yours.
  • Quoting a constant to the wrong precision.
  • Ignoring option equations that your board does print.

Common questions

Do you get a formula sheet in A-level Physics?
Yes. AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, WJEC and CCEA each issue a data and formulae sheet or booklet with the papers.
Is the A-level Physics formula sheet the same for every board?
No. Each board prints its own, with different data, layouts and equations.
What equations do I need to memorise for A-level Physics?
The ones your board's sheet leaves out, which differ by board. Check your own sheet against the specification and learn the gaps.
Does the A-level Physics sheet give definitions?
No. It gives equations and data, so you still need to define terms and know what each symbol means.
Is the CCEA sheet a full list of equations?
No. The A2 sheet lists equations that "may be useful", and it is much shorter than the AQA or Edexcel lists.

Revision cards

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

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