Browse Mechanics Formulas
Begin your journey into the world of motion. This collection of 44 formulas covers the essential equations needed to describe and predict how objects move. You'll find detailed pages on key topics like Constant Acceleration, Centripetal Force, and Angled Projectile Motion. Use these tools to solve problems involving velocity, acceleration, and displacement.
Straight Line Motion
These formulas describe an object's motion in a straight line with constant acceleration, relating displacement, velocity, acceleration, and time.
Constant Acceleration Straight Line Motion
These equations calculate displacement, velocity, or time for an object moving in a straight line with a constant, unchanging acceleration.
Distant Function
The distance function calculates an object's position over time when it is moving with constant acceleration.
Centripetal Force
Calculates the inward force needed to keep an object in circular motion, using linear velocity, angular velocity, or the period of rotation.
Constant Acceleration Circular Motion
These equations relate angular displacement, velocity, and time for an object rotating with a steadily changing angular velocity.
Acceleration
Calculate the tangential, normal, and total acceleration of an object in circular motion, including the angle of the total acceleration vector.
Free Falling From Height H
Calculates the time, distance, and velocity of an object falling from a specific height under the sole influence of gravity.
Vertical Projectile Motion
These formulas calculate the height, velocity, and time for an object thrown straight up into the air against the force of gravity.
Angled Projectile Motion
These formulas describe the parabolic path of an object launched at an angle, used to calculate its trajectory, range, and height.
Horizontal Projectile Motion
These formulas describe the path of an object launched horizontally, used to calculate its range, flight time, and final velocity.
Sliding Motion On An Inclined Plane
Calculate the acceleration, velocity, and displacement of an object sliding down an inclined plane, considering the effects of gravity and friction.
Attractive Force
This page covers Newton's law of universal gravitation, used to calculate the attractive force between any two objects with mass.
Gravitational Force
This page covers the formula for calculating an object's weight, the gravitational force exerted by a planet like Earth, based on the object's mass.
Gravitational Acceleration
Calculate acceleration due to gravity at a planet's surface, at a specific altitude, or using a linear approximation for heights close to the surface.
Force Of Gravity
Calculate an object's weight on Earth using the exact gravitational force formula or simplified versions for local gravity and specific altitudes.
Newton's First Law
This page explains the Law of Inertia, a foundational concept used to understand why an object's velocity remains constant without a net external force.
Newton's Second Law
Newton's Second Law (F=ma) relates the net force on an object to its mass and resulting acceleration.
Newton's Third Law
This law describes the equal and opposite forces that occur when two objects interact, a foundational principle for analyzing forces in any system.
Linear Elasticity - Hook's Law
This page covers Hooke's Law, used to calculate the restoring force of a spring or elastic object when it is stretched or compressed from its equilibrium.
Force of Friction
Calculate the force that opposes motion between two surfaces in contact using the coefficient of friction and the normal force.
Moment Of A Force
Calculates the turning effect of a force (torque) on an object, essential for analyzing rotation, levers, and structural equilibrium in mechanics.
Moment Application
Explore the principles of rotational equilibrium, mechanical advantage, and efficiency using formulas for analyzing forces and distances in lever systems.
Moment Of Inertia
Calculate an object's resistance to rotational motion using formulas for common shapes and the parallel axis theorem to find inertia about any axis.
Angular Momentum
These formulas define an object's rotational motion and are used to analyze systems where angular momentum is conserved, like spinning skaters.
Momentum Of A Force
Explore formulas for linear momentum, impulse, and conservation, used to analyze forces and motion in collisions and other dynamic system interactions.
Law Of Conservation Of Momentum
This page covers formulas for analyzing collisions, where the total momentum of a system remains constant if no external forces are present.
Plastic Collision
Calculate the final velocity of two objects that collide and stick together using the principle of conservation of momentum.
One-Dimensional Elastic Collision
Calculate the final velocities of two objects after a head-on collision where the total kinetic energy of the system is conserved.
Work
This page covers the formula for work, used to calculate the energy transferred when a force causes an object to move over a certain distance.
Examples
This page shows practical examples of how to apply the work formula to calculate the energy transferred when a force moves an object over a distance.
Power
Calculates the rate of doing work or transferring energy, used to find the output of engines or the energy consumption of systems over time.
Kinetic Energy
This page covers the formula for kinetic energy, used to calculate the energy an object has due to its motion from its mass and velocity.
Kinetic Energy Of A Massive Rotating Body
Calculate the total energy of a moving, spinning object by combining its translational and rotational kinetic energies.
Work Energy Principle
This principle relates the net work done on an object to its change in kinetic energy, used to find velocity or displacement without knowing time.
Potential Energy
This page covers formulas for gravitational and elastic potential energy, used to solve problems involving height, springs, and energy conservation.
Conservation Of Mechanical Energy
This principle states that total mechanical energy is constant, allowing you to solve for an object's speed or height without calculating forces.
Density
This page covers the formula for density, which students use to calculate the mass of a substance within a specific volume.
Pressure
This page covers the formula for pressure, used to calculate the force distributed over a specific surface area.
Pressure Of Liquids
Calculate the pressure within a liquid at any depth and the resulting force on a submerged surface using formulas for hydrostatic, gauge, and absolute pressure.
Pascal's Principle
Explains how pressure in a confined fluid is transmitted, used to calculate forces in hydraulic systems like lifts, jacks, and brakes.
Application
Hydraulic systems use Pascal's principle to multiply force, enabling powerful and precise mechanical applications like the hydraulic press.
Archimedes' Principle
This page covers the formula for buoyant force, used to determine if an object will float or sink in a fluid based on displaced volume and fluid density.
Flow Rate
This page covers formulas for calculating volumetric and mass flow rates, essential for analyzing fluid movement in pipes, channels, and other systems.
Why Choose Our Physics Formula Collection?
✅ Comprehensive Coverage
Over 150 formulas across all major physics disciplines
📚 Solved Examples
Each formula includes detailed examples and step-by-step solutions
🎯 Easy Navigation
Well-organized categories for quick formula discovery
🆓 Always Free
Complete access to all formulas without any restrictions
Never Struggle with Physics Formulas Again!
Whether you're preparing for an exam, solving real-world problems, or just brushing up on your skills, our formula collection is designed to make learning physics intuitive and efficient.
📖 Bookmark This PageEssential Mechanics Concepts
📏 Kinematics
Kinematics is the branch of mechanics that describes motion without considering its causes. It focuses on quantities like displacement, velocity, and acceleration.
🍎 Dynamics
Dynamics explores the relationship between the motion of an object and the forces acting upon it. It is fundamentally based on Newton's Laws of Motion.
➡️ Vectors and Scalars
A scalar quantity has only magnitude, like speed or mass. A vector quantity has both magnitude and direction, such as velocity or force.
🌍 Newton's Laws of Motion
These three fundamental laws form the foundation of classical mechanics. They describe inertia, the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration, and action-reaction pairs.
Mechanics Study Tips
Draw Free-Body Diagrams
Always start by drawing a diagram that shows all the forces acting on an object. This visual aid helps you correctly apply Newton's second law.
Define Your Coordinate System
Establish a clear positive and negative direction for your axes (e.g., up is positive, right is positive). Consistency is crucial for getting the signs correct in your equations.
Resolve Vectors into Components
Break down forces and velocities at an angle into their horizontal (x) and vertical (y) components. This simplifies two-dimensional problems into two one-dimensional problems.
Check Your Units
Before calculating, ensure all your values are in standard SI units (meters, kilograms, seconds). This simple check can prevent many common errors in your final answer.
Real-World Applications
Automotive Engineering
Engineers use mechanics formulas to design safer cars, from calculating braking distances to analyzing crash dynamics and suspension systems. Principles of friction and centripetal force are critical for vehicle performance.
Aerospace and Satellites
Launching rockets and placing satellites into orbit relies entirely on the principles of mechanics. Formulas for projectile motion and circular motion are used to calculate precise trajectories and orbital velocities.
Sports Science
The flight of a baseball, the arc of a basketball shot, and the motion of a gymnast are all governed by mechanics. Athletes and coaches use these principles to optimize performance and technique.
Amusement Park Rides
The design of roller coasters and other thrill rides is a direct application of mechanics. Engineers calculate centripetal forces and acceleration to ensure rides are both exciting and safe for passengers.
Quick Reference Guide
Mechanics is the bedrock of physics, providing the essential tools to analyze and predict the motion of objects. These formulas are fundamental not only for further physics study but also for countless applications in engineering, technology, and everyday life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Distance is a scalar quantity that measures the total path covered. Displacement is a vector quantity that represents the shortest straight-line path from the starting point to the ending point, including direction.
Air resistance is a complex force that depends on an object's speed, shape, and size. Ignoring it allows us to focus on the fundamental principles of gravity and motion, providing a good approximation for many scenarios.
The critical assumption is that the net force on the object is constant, which means its acceleration does not change over time. This is true for objects in free fall (ignoring air resistance) or those with a constant applied force.
Yes, this occurs at the peak of an object's trajectory when thrown upwards. For an instant, its vertical velocity is zero as it changes direction, but it is still accelerating downwards due to gravity.
Centripetal force is not a new type of force, but rather the net force required to keep an object moving in a circular path. This force always points towards the center of the circle and is responsible for constantly changing the object's direction.
They are treated independently. Horizontal motion is typically considered to have constant velocity (zero acceleration), while vertical motion has constant downward acceleration due to gravity.