Appendix: AP Physics 1 and 2 Equations and Constants
Appendix: AP Physics 1 and
2 Equations and Constants
Table of Information and Equation
Tables for AP Physics 1 and 2 Exams
The accompanying Table of Information and equation tables will be provided to
students when they take the AP Physics 1 and 2 Exams. Therefore, students may
NOT bring their own copies of these tables to the exam room, although they
may use them throughout the year in their classes in order to become familiar
with their content. The headings list the effective date of the tables. That date
will only be changed when there is a revision to any of the tables. Check the
Physics course home pages on AP Central for the latest versions of these
tables (apcentral.collegeboard.org).
The Table of Information and the equation tables are printed near the front
cover of both the multiple-choice section and the free-response section.
The Table of Information is identical for both exams except for some of the
conventions.
The equations in the tables express the relationships that are encountered most
frequently in the AP Physics 1 and 2 courses and exams. However, the tables
do not include all equations that might possibly be used. For example, they do
not include many equations that can be derived by combining other equations
in the tables. Nor do they include equations that are simply special cases of any
that are in the tables. Students are responsible for understanding the physical
principles that underlie each equation and for knowing the conditions for
which each equation is applicable.
The equation tables are grouped in sections according to the major content
category in which they appear. Within each section, the symbols used for the
variables in that section are defined. However, in some cases the same symbol
is used to represent different quantities in different tables. It should be noted
that there is no uniform convention among textbooks for the symbols used in
writing equations. The equation tables follow many common conventions, but
in some cases consistency was sacrificed for the sake of clarity.
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College Board AP Physics CED.indd 223
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AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 Course and Exam Description
Some explanations about notation used in the equation tables:
1. The symbols used for physical constants are the same as those in the
Table of Information and are defined in the Table of Information
rather than in the right-hand columns of the equation tables.
2. Symbols with arrows above them represent vector quantities.
3. Subscripts on symbols in the equations are used to represent special
cases of the variables defined in the right-hand columns.
4. The symbol ∆ before a variable in an equation specifically indicates a
change in the variable (e.g., final value minus initial value).
5. Several different symbols (e.g., d, r, s, h, !) are used for linear
dimensions such as length. The particular symbol used in an equation
is one that is commonly used for that equation in textbooks.
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College Board AP Physics CED.indd 224
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Appendix: AP Physics 1 and 2 Equations and Constants
ADVANCED PLACEMENT PHYSICS 1 TABLE OF INFORMATION, EFFECTIVE 2015
CONSTANTS AND CONVERSION FACTORS
Proton mass, m p
27
kg
Electron charge magnitude,
e
1.60
kg
Coulomb’s law constant,
k
14
kg
Neutron mass, mn
1.67
10
Electron mass, me
9.11 10
31
Speed of light,
3.00
Factor
1012
10 9
10
6
3
c
meter,
kilogram,
second,
ampere,
PREFIXES
Prefix
Symbol
tera
T
giga
mega
G
M
10
10 2
kilo
k
centi
c
10 3
milli
m
6
micro
10 9
nano
n
10 12
pico
p
10
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College Board AP Physics CED.indd 225
10
27
UNIT
SYMBOLS
© 2014 The College Board.
1.67
108 m s
m
kg
s
A
kelvin,
hertz,
newton,
joule,
10
19
C
9.0
0
10 9 N m 2 C2
Universal gravitational
11
m 3 kg s2
constant, G 6.67 10
Acceleration due to gravity
2
at Earth’s surface, g 9.8 m s
K
Hz
N
J
watt,
coulomb,
volt,
ohm,
degree Celsius,
W
C
V
C
VALUES OF TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS FOR COMMON ANGLES
0
30
37
45
53
sin
0
12
35
2 2
45
3 2
1
cos
1
3 2
45
2 2
35
12
0
33
34
1
43
3
tan
0
60
90
The following conventions are used in this exam.
I. The frame of reference of any problem is assumed to be inertial unless
otherwise stated.
II. Assume air resistance is negligible unless otherwise stated.
III. In all situations, positive work is defined as work done on a system.
IV. The direction of current is conventional current: the direction in which
positive charge would drift.
V. Assume all batteries and meters are ideal unless otherwise stated.
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AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 Course and Exam Description
ADVANCED PLACEMENT PHYSICS 1 EQUATIONS, EFFECTIVE 2015
MECHANICS
x
x
ax t
x0
x0
2
x
a
1 2
a t
2 x
x0 t
2
x0
2ax x
F
m
Fnet
m
Ff
x0
Fn
2
ac
r
p
mv
p
K
F t
1 2
mv
2
E
W
Fd cos
m
P
p
r
T
t
U
V
v
W
x
E
t
P
x
Fd
a
d
E
f
F
h
I
K
k
L
0
0t
0
t
1 2
t
2
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
ELECTRICITY
acceleration
distance
energy
frequency
force
height
rotational inertia
kinetic energy
spring constant
angular momentum
length
mass
power
momentum
radius or separation
period
time
potential energy
volume
speed
work done on a system
position
angular acceleration
coefficient of friction
angle
density
torque
angular speed
A cos 2 ft
Ug
mg y
L
I
r F
rF sin
I
K
T
Ts
L
2
1
f
2
m
k
t
1
I
2
Fs
2
kx
1 2
kx
2
Us
m
V
226
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k
A = area
F = force
I = current
= length
P = power
q = charge
R = resistance
r = separation
t = time
V = electric potential
= resistivity
r2
q
t
I
R
A
I
V
R
P
I V
Rs
Ri
i
1
Rp
1
Ri
i
WAVES
f = frequency
= speed
= wavelength
v
f
GEOMETRY AND TRIGONOMETRY
Rectangle
A bh
A=
C=
V=
S =
b =
h =
=
w=
r =
Triangle
1
A
bh
2
Circle
net
I
FE
q1q2
Tp
Fg
g
UG
2
G
g
m1m2
r2
A
C
r2
2 r
Rectangular solid
V
wh
Cylinder
r2
S
2 r
V
Gm1m2
r
S
Right triangle
c2
a2
2 r2
cos
tan
4 3
r
3
4 r
2
b2
a
c
b
c
a
b
sin
V
Sphere
Fg
m
area
circumference
volume
surface area
base
height
length
width
radius
c
q
a
90
b
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