Every physics equation you need for your exams in 2026 — explained in plain English. Covering AQA, Edexcel, and OCR for both GCSE and A Level, with Higher and Foundation tiers clearly labelled.
The physics equation sheet is one of the most important resources in any physics exam. Knowing which equations you will be given, which ones you need to memorise, and how to use them correctly can make a huge difference to your grade.
One of the biggest changes to GCSE Physics in recent years is the introduction of the physics equation sheet for the 2025–2027 exam series. Before this, students had to memorise every single physics equation. Now, for AQA GCSE Physics and AQA Combined Science, an official equation sheet is provided in the exam — so you can focus on understanding how to use equations rather than trying to recall them under pressure.
This change applies from the 2025 summer exam series onwards, which means the physics equation sheet 2026 exams will include the sheet. However — and this is really important — just having the sheet in front of you does not mean you will score well. You still need to:
✅ 2026 update: The AQA GCSE physics equation sheet is provided in both Paper 1 and Paper 2 for the June 2026 exam series. Edexcel and OCR have their own policies — see the section below for your specific board.
The equation sheet situation is different for every exam board. Here is a quick summary before we go into the full details:
From 2025 onwards, an official equation sheet is provided in the exam. It includes most equations but not all — some still need memorising.
✅ Sheet providedEdexcel provides an equation sheet covering most formulae needed in GCSE Physics. Check your specific tier (Foundation or Higher) for exact content.
✅ Sheet providedOCR provides a data sheet in the exam. Check whether all required equations are included or if some need to be memorised for your specification.
✅ Sheet providedCambridge IGCSE Physics does not provide a formula sheet. Students must memorise all required equations. This is different from the UK GCSE approach.
❌ No sheet givenA data sheet with key equations and constants is provided in every AQA A Level Physics exam. However, not every equation is included — many must be memorised.
✅ Data sheet providedEdexcel provides a data booklet in A Level Physics exams containing key equations and constants. Students should still know how to use every equation in the specification.
✅ Data booklet providedOCR provides a data sheet in A Level Physics exams. The equations on it cover key relationships and constants, but not all specification equations.
✅ Data sheet provided⚠️ Important: Always download and check your specific exam board’s official equation sheet or data booklet before revising. The content changes from year to year and differs between Foundation and Higher tiers. Links to official board documents are included in the FAQ section.
The AQA GCSE physics equation sheet is split between equations given in the exam and equations that must be memorised. The equations below are the full set covered in the AQA GCSE Physics specification — we have noted which tier each one applies to.
The AQA physics equation sheet uses these symbols: F = force (N), m = mass (kg), a = acceleration (m/s²), v = speed/velocity (m/s), t = time (s), E = energy (J), P = power (W), Q = charge (C), V = voltage (V), I = current (A), R = resistance (Ω), λ = wavelength (m), f = frequency (Hz).
| Equation Name | Formula | In Words | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | v = s / t | speed = distance ÷ time | Both |
| Acceleration | a = (v − u) / t | acceleration = change in velocity ÷ time | Both |
| Newton’s Second Law | F = m × a | resultant force = mass × acceleration | Both |
| Weight | W = m × g | weight = mass × gravitational field strength | Both |
| Momentum | p = m × v | momentum = mass × velocity | Higher |
| Force (impulse) | F = m × (v − u) / t | force = change in momentum ÷ time | Higher |
| Work Done | W = F × d | work done = force × distance (in direction of force) | Both |
| Kinetic Energy | KE = ½ × m × v² | kinetic energy = ½ × mass × speed² | Both |
| Gravitational PE | GPE = m × g × h | GPE = mass × g × height | Both |
| Stopping Distance | v² = u² + 2 × a × s | final velocity² = initial velocity² + 2 × acceleration × distance | Higher |
| Equation Name | Formula | In Words | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | P = E / t | power = energy transferred ÷ time | Both |
| Power (alternative) | P = W / t | power = work done ÷ time | Both |
| Efficiency | eff = useful Eout / Ein | efficiency = useful output energy ÷ total input energy | Both |
| Elastic Potential Energy | Ee = ½ × k × e² | elastic PE = ½ × spring constant × extension² | Higher |
| Specific Heat Capacity | ΔE = m × c × Δθ | change in thermal energy = mass × specific heat capacity × change in temperature | Both |
| Specific Latent Heat | E = m × L | energy = mass × specific latent heat | Both |
| Equation Name | Formula | In Words | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current | Q = I × t | charge = current × time | Both |
| Ohm’s Law | V = I × R | voltage = current × resistance | Both |
| Electrical Power | P = I × V | power = current × voltage | Both |
| Electrical Power (alt) | P = I² × R | power = current² × resistance | Higher |
| Electrical Energy | E = V × I × t | energy = voltage × current × time | Both |
| Transformer | Vp / Vs = np / ns | primary voltage / secondary voltage = primary turns / secondary turns | Higher |
| Transformer Power | Vp × Ip = Vs × Is | primary power = secondary power (100% efficiency) | Higher |
| Equation Name | Formula | In Words | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave Speed | v = f × λ | wave speed = frequency × wavelength | Both |
| Period | T = 1 / f | period = 1 ÷ frequency | Both |
| Magnification | m = image size / object size | magnification = image size ÷ object size | Both |
| Refractive Index | n = sin i / sin r | refractive index = sin(angle of incidence) ÷ sin(angle of refraction) | Higher |
| Critical Angle | sin C = 1 / n | sin(critical angle) = 1 ÷ refractive index | Higher |
| Equation Name | Formula | In Words | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure (gas) | pV = constant | pressure × volume = constant (fixed temp, fixed amount) | Higher |
| Pressure Law | p / T = constant | pressure ÷ temperature = constant (fixed volume) | Higher |
| Radiation Dose | H = D × W | equivalent dose = absorbed dose × radiation weighting factor | Higher |
📘 Struggling to remember when to use which equation? Our GCSE Physics tutors work through every equation with you using past paper questions — so you know exactly how to apply them.
Book Free SessionThe Edexcel GCSE physics equation sheet covers the same core topics as AQA but has some differences in how equations are organised and presented. For the Edexcel specification, the equation sheet is provided in the exam for both Foundation and Higher tier students.
Edexcel GCSE Physics covers most of the same equations as AQA but may use slightly different notation. The key Edexcel equations include all the standard topics: forces, energy, electricity, waves, and magnetism. The Higher tier Edexcel physics equation sheet also includes additional equations for topics like radioactivity and space physics.
📘 Edexcel GCSE Physics equation sheet: Always download the official Edexcel equation sheet directly from the Pearson Qualifications website to make sure you have the correct version for the 2026 exam series. The official document shows exactly which equations are provided and which you must know from memory.
The OCR GCSE physics equation sheet (also called the data sheet) is available in OCR A and OCR B (21st Century Science) specifications. The equations listed are similar to AQA and Edexcel but the OCR specification has its own structure.
OCR physics equations are split across the same main topic areas: forces, energy, electricity, and waves. The OCR A Level physics data sheet covers additional content including fields, capacitors, and nuclear physics.
📘 OCR physics equation sheet: Download the official OCR physics equation sheet from the OCR website to see the exact layout used in your exam. Note that OCR has two different GCSE Physics specifications (OCR A and OCR B) and each has its own equation sheet.
For AQA A Level Physics, a data sheet is provided in every paper of the exam. The AQA A Level physics equation sheet contains key equations and physical constants that you need for the more complex calculations in the A Level specification.
However — this is crucial — the data sheet does NOT include every equation in the AQA A Level Physics specification. You will still need to memorise a significant number of equations, particularly for topics like capacitors, electromagnetic induction, circular motion, and astrophysics.
| Topic | Formula | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanics — SUVAT | v = u + at | See our full SUVAT equations guide |
| Mechanics — SUVAT | s = ut + ½at² | displacement = initial velocity × time + ½ × acceleration × time² |
| Mechanics — SUVAT | v² = u² + 2as | final velocity² = initial velocity² + 2 × acceleration × displacement |
| Momentum | p = m × v | momentum = mass × velocity |
| Kinetic Energy | KE = ½mv² | kinetic energy = ½ × mass × speed² |
| Gravitational PE | ΔGP = mgΔh | change in GPE = mass × g × change in height |
| Circular Motion | F = mv²/r | centripetal force = mass × speed² ÷ radius |
| Simple Harmonic Motion | a = −ω²x | acceleration = − angular frequency² × displacement |
| Waves | v = f × λ | wave speed = frequency × wavelength |
| Photon Energy | E = hf | energy of photon = Planck’s constant × frequency |
| Capacitance | C = Q / V | capacitance = charge ÷ voltage |
| Radioactive Decay | A = λN | activity = decay constant × number of nuclei |
| Nuclear Energy | E = mc² | energy = mass × speed of light² |
| Ideal Gas | pV = nRT | pressure × volume = moles × gas constant × temperature (Kelvin) |
⚠️ Not on the AQA A Level data sheet — you must memorise these: De Broglie wavelength (λ = h/mv), time constant for capacitor discharge (τ = RC), equations of circular motion (v = ωr, T = 2π/ω), gravitational field strength (g = GM/r²), electric field strength (E = F/Q), and several others. Always check the official AQA data sheet for the current year.
The Edexcel A Level physics equation sheet (called the data booklet) is more comprehensive than AQA’s data sheet — it contains a larger number of equations and is provided in all three papers of the Edexcel A Level Physics exam (Papers 1, 2, and 3).
Key sections in the Edexcel A Level physics data booklet include: mechanics and materials, waves and optics, electricity, further mechanics and thermal physics, fields and their consequences, nuclear physics, and astrophysics. Even with the booklet provided, students must fully understand every equation — you will not have time to search for it and understand it under exam conditions without prior practice.
The OCR A Level physics equation sheet is provided for both OCR A and OCR B specifications. The OCR data sheet includes the key equations and constants needed across all units of the A Level course.
OCR A Level Physics has two specifications: OCR A (H557) and OCR B (H557). Each has its own data sheet format, so make sure you are using the right one for your course. Your teacher will be able to confirm which specification you are on.
GCSE Physics is examined in two papers. Knowing which equations apply to which paper helps you focus your revision at the right time — especially in the run-up to each individual paper.
✅ Paper 1 equation sheet: Focus on energy equations (KE, GPE, specific heat capacity, electrical power) and Ohm’s Law for Paper 1. Paper 2 equation sheet: Focus on force, acceleration, momentum, wave speed, and pressure equations for Paper 2.
Having the equation sheet in front of you is not enough on its own. Students who use it well in the exam follow a clear method:
Before looking at the equation sheet at all, read the question twice. Underline every number and its unit. Write them as a list: what you know, and what you need to find.
Make sure everything is in the right units — grams to kilograms, centimetres to metres, milliseconds to seconds. A wrong unit ruins an otherwise correct answer.
Look at what you know and what you need. Find the equation that contains exactly those variables. If one variable is missing from the equation sheet, it may be one you need to memorise.
Make the variable you want the subject of the equation before plugging in numbers. This is cleaner, easier to mark, and reduces errors significantly.
Put your values in, calculate the answer, and write the correct unit. A number without a unit scores zero for the final answer in most mark schemes.
A car doing 18,000 m/s or a person weighing 7,000 N should raise alarm bells. A quick sanity check on magnitude takes 5 seconds and can save you from handing in a silly error.
Even with an equation sheet in the exam, there are equations and facts that you will still need to have in your head. These fall into two categories:
📘 Not sure what you still need to memorise for your specific board? Our GCSE Physics tutors and A Level Physics tutors cover exactly this — working through the equation sheet with real past paper questions.
Book Free Session →Our examiner-qualified Physics tutors help GCSE and A Level students understand, apply, and remember every equation — not just read them off a sheet. Book a free consultation today.
Book Your Free Consultation →Yes — for AQA GCSE Physics and AQA Combined Science, an official physics equation sheet 2026 is provided in the exam from the 2025 series onwards. Edexcel and OCR also provide equation sheets. However, not every equation is on the sheet — some still need to be memorised. The sheet also does not tell you when to use each equation, which is the harder skill to develop.
The AQA GCSE physics equation sheet includes equations for speed, acceleration, Newton’s second law, weight, work done, kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy, power, efficiency, specific heat capacity, specific latent heat, Ohm’s law, electrical power and energy, transformer equations, wave speed, period, and refractive index. Higher tier students also have additional equations. The full list is available on the AQA website.
Yes — AQA, Edexcel, and OCR all provide a data sheet or data booklet in A Level Physics exams. However, not every equation in the specification is on the sheet. You still need to memorise a significant number of equations, especially for topics like capacitors, circular motion, and nuclear physics. Our A Level Physics tutors will help you identify exactly what you need to memorise for your board.
The same equation sheet is provided in both Paper 1 and Paper 2 for most exam boards. The difference is which equations you actually need to use in each paper. Paper 1 questions test energy, electricity, and atomic structure equations. Paper 2 questions test forces, waves, magnetism, and space equations. Knowing which topic area each paper covers helps you focus your equation practice before each exam.
No — Cambridge IGCSE Physics does not provide a formula sheet in the exam. All equations must be memorised. This is different from the UK GCSE approach. If you are studying Cambridge IGCSE Physics, you will need to learn all required equations from the syllabus by heart. Our IGCSE Physics tutors help students build strong recall of every equation through regular past paper practice.
Technically no — but practically yes. If you need to look up every equation in the exam, you will waste time and increase your stress levels. Students who know the equations by heart use the sheet as a safety net, not a crutch. More importantly, the sheet cannot tell you which equation to use, how to rearrange it, or what units to use — all things you need to know independently.
Official physics equation sheets can be downloaded directly from each exam board’s website: AQA at aqa.org.uk, Edexcel at qualifications.pearson.com, and OCR at ocr.org.uk. Always make sure you are downloading the sheet for the correct specification, tier (Foundation or Higher), and exam year. If you are unsure which sheet applies to you, ask your teacher or contact your exam board.
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