Physics For Dummies

From Physics For Dummies by Steve Holzner, Ph.D.

Physics uses equations and formulas to measure the physical world on a variety of levels from electricity to a variety of motions. You need those basic formulas to use physics. You also need to know how to convert measurements from one system to another. And, you'll need to know formulas for the physics constants that you don’t have to measure at all.

Important Physics Equations and Formulas

Physics relies on a lot of equations and formulas. Following is a comprehensive list of some important ones that related to your physics studies — arranged by topic — so you don’t have to go searching to find them.

Conversion Table for Physical Measurements in Physics

If you’re messing around with physics, sooner rather than later you’ll need to convert inches to centimeters or Newtons to dynes. This handy list helps you convert between systems of measurement to measure physical quantities.

J stands for joule, which is a measure of energy.

Physics Constants

Physics constants are physical quantities with fixed numerical values, such as the speed of light and the mass of an electron. The following list contains the most common constants in phisics: