UAE TLS Physics Subject Test cheat sheet

Kinematic equations apply only for constant acceleration: v = u + at, s = ut + ½at², v² = u² + 2as.

Newton's second law: net force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma); weight is W = mg, distinct from mass.

Momentum p = mv is conserved in any collision; kinetic energy is conserved only in elastic collisions.

Projectile motion: horizontal velocity is constant; vertical motion has acceleration g ≈ 9.8 m/s² downward.

Circular motion requires centripetal force F = mv²/r directed toward the centre; speed constant, velocity changing.

Work W = Fd cos θ; power P = W/t = Fv; work-energy theorem: net work equals change in kinetic energy.

Conservation of mechanical energy holds when only conservative forces act: mgh + ½mv² = constant.

Impulse J = FΔt equals change in momentum; larger collision time reduces average force for the same Δp.

Torque τ = Fd sin θ about a pivot; a body is in rotational equilibrium when net torque is zero.

Wave speed v = fλ; frequency is set by the source and does not change with medium, but speed and wavelength do.

Transverse waves oscillate perpendicular to propagation; longitudinal waves (sound) oscillate parallel to it.

Sound needs a material medium; it cannot travel through a vacuum, unlike light.

Snell's law: n₁ sin θ₁ = n₂ sin θ₂, with refractive index n = c/v.

Total internal reflection occurs only when light travels from a denser to a less dense medium and the angle exceeds the critical angle, sin θc = n₂/n₁.

For thin lenses and mirrors, 1/f = 1/do + 1/di; magnification m = −di/do.

Diffraction is most pronounced when wavelength is comparable to or larger than the obstacle or slit width.

Doppler effect: observed frequency rises as source and observer approach, falls as they recede.

Standing waves on a string fixed at both ends have nodes at the ends; fundamental wavelength λ = 2L.

Coulomb's law: F = kq₁q₂/r²; force is along the line joining charges and obeys Newton's third law.

Ohm's law V = IR holds for ohmic conductors at constant temperature; resistance R = ρL/A.

Series circuits: same current, resistances add. Parallel circuits: same voltage, 1/R = Σ(1/Ri).

Electrical power P = VI = I²R = V²/R; energy consumed is power multiplied by time.

A magnetic field exerts force F = BIL sin θ on a current-carrying wire and F = qvB sin θ on a moving charge.

Faraday's law: induced emf equals the rate of change of magnetic flux linkage; Lenz's law gives the opposing direction.

Electric field lines point from positive to negative charge; field strength E = F/q, and uniform field between plates E = V/d.

Magnetic field lines form closed loops; like poles repel, unlike poles attract.

Absolute temperature must be used in gas laws: T in kelvin equals Celsius plus 273.

Ideal gas law: PV = nRT; combined gas law PV/T = constant for a fixed amount of gas.

Average kinetic energy of gas molecules is proportional to absolute temperature: KE ∝ T.

First law of thermodynamics: ΔU = Q − W, with W the work done by the system.

Isothermal means constant temperature; adiabatic means no heat exchange (Q = 0).

Specific heat capacity: Q = mcΔT; latent heat for phase change: Q = mL with no temperature change.

Second law: entropy of an isolated system never decreases; heat flows spontaneously from hot to cold.

Pressure of a gas arises from molecular collisions with container walls; higher T means faster molecules and greater pressure.

Photoelectric effect: light arrives in photons of energy E = hf; emission occurs only above a threshold frequency, regardless of intensity.

Maximum photoelectron kinetic energy: KEmax = hf − φ, where φ is the work function.

Photon energy relates to wavelength by E = hc/λ; shorter wavelength means higher energy.

De Broglie wavelength: λ = h/p = h/(mv); particles show wave behaviour.

Mass-energy equivalence E = mc²; nuclear binding energy appears as a mass defect.

Alpha decay reduces mass number by 4 and atomic number by 2; beta-minus decay raises atomic number by 1.

Half-life: after n half-lives, remaining fraction of a sample is (1/2)ⁿ.

Atomic line spectra arise from electron transitions between discrete energy levels; emission lines match absorption lines.

Precision refers to repeatability of a measurement; accuracy refers to closeness to the true value.

For a scale, uncertainty is typically half the smallest division; for repeated readings, use the spread or standard deviation.

Percentage uncertainty of a product or quotient equals the sum of percentage uncertainties of the inputs.

Random errors scatter both ways and are reduced by averaging; systematic errors shift all readings and require calibration.

Significant figures in a result should match the least precise input; do not overstate precision.

A valid experiment changes one independent variable while controlling others and measures the dependent variable.

Gradient of a straight-line graph equals the rate of change; the intercept often reveals a systematic offset.

A hypothesis must be testable and falsifiable; conclusions should be limited to the range of data collected.

Formative assessment informs ongoing teaching; summative assessment judges achievement at the end of a unit.

Constructivist approach: learners build new understanding on prior conceptions, so eliciting prior ideas precedes instruction.

Common misconceptions (e.g., force implies motion, heavier objects fall faster) must be directly confronted with evidence.

Inquiry-based instruction sequences prediction, investigation, data collection, and explanation.

Practical work should have explicit learning objectives; hands-on without minds-on yields limited conceptual gain.

Differentiation adjusts task difficulty, scaffolding, or pace while keeping the same core learning objective.

Effective questioning uses wait time and probes reasoning rather than accepting only recall answers.

Safety: risk assessment precedes practicals; electrical, laser, and radioactive sources require defined protocols.

Feedback is most effective when specific, timely, and focused on the task rather than on the learner's ability.