AP Physics 1 — Equations & Constants
8 sections · 46 entries · print it and keep it beside your practice sets
Algebra-based mechanics, rotation, simple harmonic motion, and fluids. Every relationship here is on the sheet you are handed on exam day, so the skill being tested is never recall — it is choosing the right line and tracking units. Practise with this open.
Practise with the sheet, not from memory. The College Board hands out its own version of this page on exam day, so nothing here is worth memorising for its own sake. What earns points is speed: knowing which section a quantity lives in, and reading off the right line without breaking your train of thought. Keep this open (or printed) for every practice set you do.
Kinematics (straight line, constant acceleration)
Velocity after time t from initial velocity v₀
Position after time t
Velocity as a function of displacement (no t)
The go-to equation whenever the problem never mentions time.
Average velocity (constant a only)
Forces & Newton’s laws
Acceleration from the net force on mass m
Magnitude of friction from normal force F_n
Equality holds for kinetic friction; static friction is at most μ_s F_n.
Spring (Hooke) force for displacement x from equilibrium
Gravitational force between masses m₁ and m₂
Gravitational field strength
Centripetal acceleration in a circle of radius r
Points toward the centre. It is a required acceleration, not an extra force — never add “centrifugal force” to a free-body diagram.
Energy & power
Translational kinetic energy
Work done by a constant force F over displacement d
θ is the angle between force and displacement, so a force perpendicular to motion does zero work.
Change in gravitational potential energy near Earth
Elastic potential energy in a spring
Average power
Energy conservation for a system
Momentum & impulse
Linear momentum
Impulse–momentum theorem
Conservation of momentum (no external impulse)
Rotation & torque
Angular velocity; θ in radians
Angular velocity with constant angular acceleration
Angular position with constant α
Linking linear and angular motion
Torque from force F applied at distance r
r sin θ is the lever arm — the perpendicular distance from the axis to the line of action.
Angular acceleration from net torque
Rotational inertia of point masses about an axis
Rotational kinetic energy
Angular momentum of a rigid body
Angular impulse
Simple harmonic motion
Displacement of an oscillator of amplitude A
Period and frequency
Period of a mass–spring oscillator
Period of a simple pendulum of length ℓ
Independent of mass and (for small angles) of amplitude.
Fluids
Density
Pressure from a force on area A
Absolute pressure at depth h below a surface at P₀
Buoyant force (Archimedes)
Continuity for an incompressible fluid
Energy conservation along a streamline
Geometry & trigonometry (also supplied)
Rectangle, triangle, circle
Rectangular solid, cylinder, sphere
Pythagoras and the basic ratios
# Constants & conversions
Free-fall acceleration near Earth’s surface
The exam sheet rounds to 9.8; 10 m/s² is fine for estimates but show the value you used.
Universal gravitational constant
Mass of Earth
Radius of Earth