| Quantity | Symbol | Numerical Value |
|---|---|---|
| Avogadro's constant | NA | 6.0221367 x 1023 molecules.mol-1 |
| Speed of light in vacuum | c | 2.99792458 x 108 m.s-1 |
| Universal gravitational constant | G | 6.6726 x 10-11 N.m2.kg-2 |
| Universal gas constant | R | 8.31 J.K-1.mol-1 |
| Molar gas volume | 22.4 dm3 | |
| Atomic mass unit (dalton) | u (Da) | 1.66 x 10-27 kg |
| Mass of proton | mp | 1.673 x 10-27 kg |
| Mass of neutron | mn | 1.675 x 10-27 kg |
| Mass of electron | me | 9.11 x 10-31 kg |
| Planck's constant | h | 6.626 x 10-34 J.s-1 |
| Faraday's constant | F | 9.65 x 104 C |
| Coulomb's constant | k | 9.00 x 109 N.m2.C-2 |
| Proton charge | e | 1.60 x 10-19 C |
| Electron charge | -e | -1.60 x 10-19 C |
| Absolute zero | -273.16 °C, 0.000 K |
| Distances | Value in SI Units |
| 1 astronomical unit | 1.496 x 1011 m |
| 1 light year (ly) | 9.46055 x 1015 m |
| 1 parsec | 3.0857 x 1016 m |
| 1 inch | 0.0254 m (exactly) |
| 1 foot = 12 inches | 0.3048 m (exactly) |
| 1 yard = 3 feet | 0.9144 m (exactly) |
| 1 statute mile = 1760 yards | 1.609344 x 103 m (exactly) |
| 1 nautical mile | 1.852 x 103 m |
| Speed | |
|---|---|
| 1 km.hr-1 | 0.2778 m.s-1 |
| 1 knot = 1 nautical mile.hr-1 | 1.852 km.hr-1 = 0.5144 m.s-1 |
| Areas | |
| 1 hectare (ha) | 1 x 104 m2 (exactly) |
| 1 square mile | 2.589988 km2 = 2.589988 x 106 m2 |
| 1 acre (ac) | 4.04686 x 103 m2 |
| 1 morgen (South Africa) | 8.56532 x 103 m2 |
| Volumes | |
| 1 litre (l) | 1 dm3 (exactly) |
| 1 millilitre (ml) | 1 cm3 (exactly) |
| 1 lambda | 1 x 10-6 l = 1 µl (exactly) |
| 1 UK gallon | 4.54609 dm3 |
| 1 UK quart | 1.136523 dm3 |
| 1 UK pint | 0.5682613 dm3 |
| 1 UK fluid ounce | 2.841306 x 10-5 m3 |
| 1 US gallon | 3.785412 dm3 |
| 1 US quart | 0.94635529 dm33 |
| 1 US pint | 0.4731765 dm3 |
| 1 US fluid ounce | 2.957353 x 10-5 m3 |
| 1 cubic yard | 0.7645539 m3 |
| 1 cubic foot | 2.831685 x 10-2 m3 |
| 1 cubic inch 1.6387064 m3 | 1.6387064 x 10-5 m3 = 1.6387064 cm3 |
| Weights | |
| 1 metric ton (tonne) | 1x103 kg (exactly) |
| 1 short ton (2000 lbs.) | 9.071847x102 kg |
| 1 long ton (2240 lbs.) | 1.016047x103 kg |
| 1 pound (lb.) | 0.45359327 kg (exactly) |
| 1 avoirdupois ounce (oz.) | 2.834952 x 10-2 kg |
| 1 grain (oz.) | 6.479891 x 10-5 kg |
| Energy/mass equivalences | |
| 1 eV = 1.602x10-19 J = 1.78x10-36 kg 1 J = 6.24x1018 eV 1 J/c² = 1.11x10-17 kg 1 GeV/c² =1.783x10-27 kg 1 amu = 0.93146 GeV/c² | |
| Temperature Conversions | |
| Celsius to Fahrenheit: | tº F = 9/5 tº C + 32 |
| Fahrenheit to Celcius: | tº C = 5/9(tº F - 32) |
| Quantity | Value |
| Standard atmospheric pressure | 1 atmosphere 1.013x105 Pa (101.3 kPa) 1.013 bars 760 mm Hg (760 Torr) |
| Acceleration of gravity on earth | 9.78039 m.s-2 (at the equator) 9.83217 m.s-2(at the poles) 9.81 m.s-2 (routinely used value) |
| Mass of earth | 5.98 x 1024 kg |
| Mass of moon | 7.35 x 1022 kg |
| Mass of sun | 1.99 x 1030 kg |
| Diameter of earth | 1.2713824 x 107 m (polar diameter) 1.2756776 x 107 m (equatorial diameter) 1.28 x 107 m (mean value) |
| Volume of earth | 1.09 x 1021 m3 |
| Mean density of the earth | 5.52 x 103 kg.m-3 |
| Sun-earth mean distance (astronomical unit) |
1.496 x 1011 m |
| Earth-moon mean distance | 3.84 x 108 m |
| 1 light year (ly) | 9.46055 x 1015 m |
s = displacement or distance
u = initial velocity or speed of a moving object
v = final velocity or speed of a moving object
a = acceleration of a moving object
t = time
v = u + at
s = ut + ½at²
s = ½(v + u)t
v² = u² + 2as
k is Coulomb's Constant (9.00 x 109 N.m2.C-2
)
Force between two charged particles Q1 and Q2
separated by a distance d: F = k Q1Q2/d2
Field strength at a distance d from a charge Q: E = kQ/d2
Work done on a charge Q when it moves a distance d in a uniform
field E: W = QEd
Work done on a charge Q when it moves through a potential
difference V in a uniform field E: W = VQ
Electric field between two infinitely large parallel plates
separated by a distance d, with a potential difference V between
them: E = V/d
1 radian = 57.296°
1º = 0.017453 radian
sin2α = 2 sinαcosα
cos2αa = cos2αa - sin2αa = 2 cosαa - 1 = 1 - 2 sin2α
sin2α/2 = (1 - cosα)/2
cos2α/2 = (1 + cosα)/2
Greek letters are frequently used as symbols in mathematical formulae. It is useful to be able to recognize and pronounce them:
| Name | Lower case | Upper case | Name | Lower case | Upper case |
| alpha | α | Α | nu | ν | Ν |
| beta | β | Β | xi | ξ | Ξ |
| gamma | γ | Γ | omicron | ο | Ο |
| delta | δ | Δ | pi | π | Π |
| epsilon | ε | Ε | rho | ρ | Ρ |
| zeta | ζ | Ζ | sigma | σ | Σ |
| eta | η | Η | tau | τ | Τ |
| theta | θ | Θ | upsilon | υ | Υ |
| iota | ι | ι | phi | φ | φ |
| kappa | κ | Κ | chi | χ | Χ |
| lambda | λ | Λ | psi | ψ | Ψ |
| mu | μ | Μ | omega | ω | Ω |
