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Edexcel A-level Physics data and formulae sheet (9PH0): what is on it and what is not
A-level Physics: Year 1
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Formula sheet
The card below opens today's A-level Physics paper with this sheet in the drawer, so you practise the way you will sit the exam. The contents follow, grouped like the real list in our own layout and words. Check against Pearson's List of data, formulae and relationships before you rely on anything here.
Formula sheet
Open formula sheetA-level Physics: Year 1
Data
| Quantity | Symbol | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| acceleration of free fall | g | 9.81 | m s⁻² |
| Boltzmann constant | k | 1.38 × 10⁻²³ | J K⁻¹ |
| Coulomb law constant | 1/4πε₀ | 8.99 × 10⁹ | N m² C⁻² |
| electron charge | e | -1.60 × 10⁻¹⁹ | C |
| electron mass | mₑ | 9.11 × 10⁻³¹ | kg |
| electronvolt | 1 eV | 1.60 × 10⁻¹⁹ | J |
| gravitational constant | G | 6.67 × 10⁻¹¹ | N m² kg⁻² |
| gravitational field strength | g | 9.81 | N kg⁻¹ |
| permittivity of free space | ε₀ | 8.85 × 10⁻¹² | F m⁻¹ |
| Planck constant | h | 6.63 × 10⁻³⁴ | J s |
| proton mass | mₚ | 1.67 × 10⁻²⁷ | kg |
| speed of light in a vacuum | c | 3.00 × 10⁸ | m s⁻¹ |
| Stefan-Boltzmann constant | σ | 5.67 × 10⁻⁸ | W m⁻² K⁻⁴ |
| unified atomic mass unit | u | 1.66 × 10⁻²⁷ | kg |
Mechanics
s=\frac{1}{2}(u+v)tdisplacement from the average velocity
v=u+atfinal velocity
s=ut+\frac{1}{2}at^2displacement from the start velocity
v^2=u^2+2asvelocity without time
\sum F=maresultant force
g=\frac{F}{m}gravitational field strength
W=mgweight
\text{moment}=Fxmoment of a force
p=mvmomentum
\Delta W=F\Delta swork done
E_k=\frac{1}{2}mv^2kinetic energy
\Delta E_{grav}=mg\Delta hchange in gravitational potential energy
P=\frac{E}{t}power from energy
P=\frac{W}{t}power
\text{efficiency}=\frac{\text{useful energy output}}{\text{total energy input}}efficiency from energy
\text{efficiency}=\frac{\text{useful power output}}{\text{total power input}}efficiency from power
Electric circuits
V=\frac{W}{Q}potential difference
R=\frac{V}{I}resistance
P=VI,\quad P=I^2R,\quad P=\frac{V^2}{R}electrical power
W=VItelectrical energy
R=\frac{\rho l}{A}resistivity
I=\frac{\Delta Q}{\Delta t}current
I=nqvAcurrent in a conductor
Materials
\rho=\frac{m}{V}density
F=6\pi\eta rvStokes' law
\Delta F=k\Delta xHooke's law
\sigma=\frac{F}{A}stress
\varepsilon=\frac{\Delta x}{x}strain
E=\frac{\sigma}{\varepsilon}Young modulus
\Delta E_{el}=\frac{1}{2}F\Delta xelastic strain energy
Waves and particle nature of light
v=f\lambdawave speed
v=\sqrt{\frac{T}{\mu}}speed of a transverse wave on a string
I=\frac{P}{A}intensity of radiation
P=\frac{1}{f},\quad P=P_1+P_2+P_3+\cdotspower of a lens
\frac{1}{u}+\frac{1}{v}=\frac{1}{f}thin lens equation
m=\frac{\text{image height}}{\text{object height}}=\frac{v}{u}magnification for a lens
n\lambda=d\sin\thetadiffraction grating
n_1\sin\theta_1=n_2\sin\theta_2law of refraction
n=\frac{c}{v}refractive index
\sin C=\frac{1}{n}critical angle
E=hfphoton model
hf=\phi+\frac{1}{2}mv_{max}^2Einstein's photoelectric equation
\lambda=\frac{h}{p}de Broglie wavelength
Further mechanics
F\Delta t=\Delta pimpulse
E_k=\frac{p^2}{2m}kinetic energy of a non-relativistic particle
v=\omega r,\quad T=\frac{2\pi}{\omega}motion in a circle
F=ma=\frac{mv^2}{r},\quad a=\frac{v^2}{r}=r\omega^2,\quad F=mr\omega^2centripetal force and acceleration
Fields
F=\frac{Q_1Q_2}{4\pi\varepsilon_0r^2}Coulomb's law
E=\frac{F}{Q},\quad E=k\frac{Q}{r^2},\quad E=\frac{V}{d}electric field strength
V=k\frac{Q}{r}electric potential
C=\frac{Q}{V}capacitance
W=\frac{1}{2}QV=\frac{1}{2}CV^2=\frac{1}{2}\frac{Q^2}{C}energy stored in a capacitor
Q=Q_0e^{-t/RC},\quad I=I_0e^{-t/RC},\quad V=V_0e^{-t/RC}capacitor discharge
\ln Q=\ln Q_0-\frac{t}{RC}logarithmic form of discharge
F=BIl\sin\thetaforce on a conductor in a magnetic field
F=Bqv\sin\thetaforce on a moving charge
\varepsilon=-\frac{d(N\phi)}{dt}Faraday's and Lenz's laws
I_{rms}=\frac{I_0}{\sqrt{2}},\quad V_{rms}=\frac{V_0}{\sqrt{2}}root mean square values
Nuclear and particle physics
r=\frac{p}{BQ}radius of a charged particle in a magnetic field
Thermodynamics
\Delta E=mc\Delta\thetaenergy to change temperature
\Delta E=L\Delta menergy to change state
\frac{1}{2}m\overline{c^2}=\frac{3}{2}kT,\quad pV=\frac{1}{3}Nm\overline{c^2}molecular kinetic theory
pV=NkTideal gas equation, molecules
L=\sigma AT^4,\quad L=4\pi r^2\sigma T^4Stefan-Boltzmann law
\lambda_{max}T=2.898\times10^{-3}\ \text{m K}Wien's law
Space
I=\frac{L}{4\pi d^2}intensity
z=\frac{\Delta\lambda}{\lambda}\approx\frac{\Delta f}{f}\approx\frac{v}{c}red shift
v=H_0dHubble's law
Nuclear radiation
\Delta E=c^2\Delta mmass-energy equivalence
A=\lambda N,\quad \frac{dN}{dt}=-\lambda Nradioactive decay
\lambda=\frac{\ln2}{t_{1/2}}decay constant and half-life
N=N_0e^{-\lambda t}radioactive decay
A=A_0e^{-\lambda t}decay of activity
Gravitational fields
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_{grav}=-\frac{Gm}{r}gravitational potential
Oscillations
F=-kxforce in simple harmonic motion
a=-\omega^2xacceleration in simple harmonic motion
x=A\cos\omega tdisplacement in simple harmonic motion
v=-A\omega\sin\omega tvelocity
a=-A\omega^2\cos\omega tacceleration
T=\frac{1}{f}=\frac{2\pi}{\omega},\quad\omega=2\pi fperiod
T=2\pi\sqrt{\frac{m}{k}}period of a mass on a spring
T=2\pi\sqrt{\frac{l}{g}}period of a simple pendulum
What Edexcel's list omits
- No internal resistance equation, ε = I(R + r), and no potential divider formula.
- No average speed or acceleration definitions. The mechanics section opens with the equations of motion.
- No astronomical data and no option sections: Edexcel's list is only fourteen data values and twelve equation sections.
Reading the Pearson list
Issue 3 of the list, dated November 2022, starts with data and then runs from Mechanics through Electric circuits, Materials, Waves and particle nature of light, Further mechanics, Fields, Nuclear and particle physics, Thermodynamics, Space, Nuclear radiation, Gravitational fields and Oscillations.
It includes Stokes' law and the thin lens equation, which some boards treat as optional, and it prints the capacitor discharge relation in three forms, for Q, I and V, plus the logarithmic form for graph questions.
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.
Worked example: discharging a capacitor
A 4.7 μF capacitor discharges through a 2.0 × 10⁵ Ω resistor. What fraction of the charge is left after 2.0 s?
RC=0.94\ \text{s},\quad \frac{Q}{Q_0}=e^{-2.0/0.94}=0.119
About 12% remains. Convert microfarads to farads before multiplying, or RC is a million times too big.
The Edexcel sheet and the other boards
| Board | Sheet | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
| AQA | A-level Physics data and formulae (7408), version 1.5 | Constants and astronomical data, equations by topic, then five option sections |
| Edexcel (this guide) | List of data, formulae and relationships (9PH0), Issue 3, November 2022 | Fourteen data values, then equations in twelve sections from Mechanics to Oscillations |
| OCR A | Data, Formulae and Relationships Booklet (H156, H556), 8 pages | Constants, conversion factors and maths equations, then equations by module; no kinetic energy line |
| Eduqas | Data Booklet, A level component 3 (2019 paper) | Values and conversions, one list of equations, options A to D, and maths information |
| WJEC | Data Booklet, A2 unit 3 (2019 paper) | The same layout as Eduqas, without the option sections |
| CCEA | Data 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 |
Pearson's list is the lightest of the three English-board sheets on data and the only one with Stokes' law. OCR orders its sheet by module and AQA adds option sections.
Exam answers
Answers on this site appear after you mark your paper. They are our worked solutions, and Edexcel has no hand in them.
Using the list with the daily papers
Run Physics 1 and Physics 2 with the sheet open. Because Edexcel's list lacks the potential divider, watch for circuit questions where you have to supply it.
Edexcel list traps
- Using the sheet's e = −1.60 × 10⁻¹⁹ C sign without thinking about charge direction.
- Forgetting k in Coulomb's law has two forms on the sheet.
- Searching for internal resistance and not finding it.
Common questions
Do you get a data sheet in Edexcel A-level Physics?
Yes. Pearson publishes a List of data, formulae and relationships for the Advanced GCE in Physics (9PH0).
What is in the Edexcel physics data and formulae list?
Fourteen data values and equations in twelve sections, from Mechanics to Oscillations.
Is the Edexcel list the same as the AQA booklet?
No. Edexcel's gives fewer data values, has no astronomical data table and has no option sections.
Which version of the Edexcel list is current?
The one on Pearson's site is Issue 3, November 2022.
Does the Edexcel sheet have ε = I(R + r)?
No. You must recall the internal resistance equation.
Revision cards
Say the answer first, then flip the card to check it.
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