Definition and Formula Notes

Chapter 1: Introduction to Physics

No Concept/Law/Principle Definition and Formula
1. Physics Is the study of matter and energy
2. Measurement Method to determine the value of a physical
quantity.
3. Physical quantity Quantity that can be measured.
4. Base quantity Physical quantity that cannot be derived form
another physical quantity.
Example: time, temperature, mass, length,
electric current, luminous intensity and amount
of substance.
5. Derived quantity Quantity that can be derived form other base
quantity through multiplication, division or both.
Example: area, volume, pressure, force, energy,
velocity, acceleration and many more.
6. Metric units Example:centimetre, gram, milliampere (used
prefix)
7. Imperial units Example:inch, gallons, miles, feet and yard.
8. Scalar quantity Physical quantity that have magnitude only.
9. Vector quantity Physical quantity that have both magnitude and
direction.

Chapter 2: Force and Motion I

No Concept/Law/Principle Definition and Formula
1. Newtonian Mechanics Is a branch of physics that studies the motion of
an object.
2. Linear motion Motion in a straight line.
3. Distance Total length travelled by the object.
4. Displacement Shortest distance between initial position and
the final position in a specific direction.
5. Speed Rate of change of distance travelled.
= distance travelled/time taken
= d/t
6. Velocity Rate of change of displacement
= displacement/time taken
= s/t
7. Acceleration Rate of change of velocity
= (final velocity – initial velocity)/time taken
8. Acceleration for ticker tape = (v – u)/(n-1)t *n = no of ticker tape
experiment
9. Linear motion equation V = u +at
S = ut + ½ at2
S = ½ (u + v)t
V2 = u2 + 2as
10. Free fall Object fall because of gravitational force
only/gravitational pull only.
Does not experience the action of other forces
such as air resistance or friction.
 11. Gravitational acceleration Acceleration of a free falling object caused by
gravitational force.
The average value of Earth’s gravitational
acceleration is 9.81 m s-2 .
12. Gravitational force Force experience by an object when in the
gravitational field.
13. Gravitational field A region where object experiences gravitational
force.
14. Inertia Tendency of an object to remain at rest or, if
moving, to continue its motion in a straight line
at uniform velocity.
15. Newton’s First Law of Motion States that an object will remain at rest or move
at uniform velocity unless acted upon by an
external force.
16. Momentum Product of mass and velocity.
P=mv, unit= kg m s-1
17. Principle of Conservation of The total momentum before collision is equal to
Momentum the total momentum after the collision if no
external force acting on it.
18. Force Pull or push
19. Newton’s Second Law of Motion States that the rate of change of momentum is
directly proportional to the force and acts in the
direction of the applied force.
F = m(v-u)/t
F = ma, Unit: kg m s-2/ Newton (N)
20. Impulse A change in momentum
J = Ft
= mv – mu, Unit: kg m s-1
21. Impulsive force Rate of change of momentum
F = (mv – mu)/t Unit: kg m s-2
22. Newton’s Third Law of Motion States that for every action there is a reaction of
equal magnitude, but in opposite direction.
23. Weight W = mass x gravity
W = mg, Unit: kg m s-2 / Newton (N)
24. Gravitational field strength, g Force acting per unit mass caused by
gravitational pull, 9.81 N kg-1

Chapter 3: Gravitation
No Concept/Law/Principle Definition/Formula
1. Gravitational force Is known as universal law because it acts
between any two bodies in the universe.
2. Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation States that the gravitational force between two
bodies is directly proportional to the product of
the masses of the two bodies and inversely
proportional to the square of the distance
between the centres of the two bodies.
GMm
F= 2
r
3. Relationship between g and G GMm
mg = 2
r
GM
g= 2 , r = R + h,
r
R=radius of earth,
h=distance of object from surface of earth
4. Centripetal force Force acts on a body in a direction towards the
centre of the circle.
2
mv
Fc=
r
5. Centripetal acceleration v
2
a=
r
6. Mass of Earth & Mass of Sun

7. Kepler’s 1st Law All planets move in elliptical orbits with the sun
at one focus(Law of Orbits)
Notes:
- The major axis is longer than minor axis.
- Most orbits of the planets in the Solar
system have major axis and minor axis of
almost the same length. As such the
shape of the elliptical orbit of the planets
in the solar system is almost round.
- Planets can be assumed to make circular
motion around the sun.
- The radius of orbit: average value of the
distance between the planet and the
Sun.
8. Kepler’s 2nd Law A line that connects a planet to the sun sweeps
out equal area in equal times (Law of Areas)
9. Kepler’s 3rd law The square of the orbital period of any planet is
directly proportional to the cube of the radius of
its orbit (Law of Periods)
10. Compare two planets

11. Linear speed of satellites

12. Geostationary satellite  In a special orbit named the

Geostationary Earth Orbit
 Moves around the Earth in the same
direction as the direction of Earth
rotation on its axis
 T=24 hour
 Always above the same geographical
location
13. Non-geostationary satellite  Lower or higher orbit than Geostationary
Earth orbit
 T<24 hour or T>24 hour
 Above different geographical locations at
different times
14. Escape velocity Min velocity needed by an object on the surface
of the Earth to overcome the gravitational force
and escape to the outer space.