PREFACE

This Material is a property of Unusual Science Tutorial and was compiled by Unusual Science
Tutorial (UST) Physics Department to help our 2025 students ace their JAMB Exam, Post-utme
and O'level Exams.

This material contains Majority of The Important O'level Formulas you should never forget and
some vital examples to help you understand some of them. It should serve as a form of revision
to you, as you scan through the notes and classes we have done so far in preparation for the
forthcoming JAMB Exam.

NOTE: This book is not to be shared out of Unusual Science Tutorial as it's strictly for UST
students.

Also, an updated version of this material is coming during the Post-utme Season so be on the
alert.

Good luck to you all in your forthcoming examination.

~ Dr. Jeremiah (Head Physics Tutor-08146227043).

©2025
🏆 COMPILED PHYSICS FORMULAS BY UNUSUAL SCIENCE TUTORIAL

🔰 Measurements & Units

1. Density: ρ= m/ V

Where m is mass

V is Volume

2. Relative Density (R.D):

R.D = Density of substance

Density of water

📝 EXAMPLE: A stone of mass 600 g has a volume of 200 cm³.

SOLUTION

Density = m / V

Density = 600 / 200 = 3 g/cm³

🔰 Motion

3. Average speed:

v = Total distance/Total time

4. Acceleration: a = v -u/t

➖ Equations of motion:

5. v = u + at

6. s = ut + ½at²
7. v² = u² + 2as

📝 EXAMPLES:

1). A car starts from rest and accelerates uniformly at 5 m/s² for 4 s. Find the final velocity.

SOLUTION

u = 0, a = 5, t = 4

v = u + at

v=0+5×4

v = 20 m/s.

2). A body with initial velocity 10 m/s accelerates at 2 m/s² for 5 s. Find the distance travelled.

SOLUTION

s = ut + 1/2 at²

s = 10 × 5 + 1/2 × 2 × 25

s = 50 + 25 = 75 m.

8. Distance travel in nth second

Sn = u + ½ a (2n - 1)

➖ Projectile motion:

9. Time of flight: T = 2usinθ/g

10. Maximum height: H = u²sin²/ 2g

11. Range: R = u²sin 2θ/ g

12. Max Range: u²/g

SOLUTION

Time of flight: T = 2u sinθ / g

T = (2 × 20 × sin30°) / 10

T = (40 × 0.5) / 10 = 2 s

➖ Circular Motion

13. Linear Velocity: v = ωr

Where v is linear velocity,

w is angular velocity and r is radius

14. Linear acceleration: a = ω²r

Where a is linear acceleration

w is angular velocity and r is radius

15. Centripetal Force: F= mv²/r = mω²r

16. μ = tan∅ = v²/rg

📝 EXAMPLE: A 2 kg body moves in a circle of radius 5 m with speed 10 m/s. Find the
centripetal force.

SOLUTION

F = mv² / r

F = (2 × 10²) / 5 = 40 N

🔰 Newton’s Laws of Motion

17. Force: F = ma
18. Momentum: p = mv

19. Impulse: Impulse = Ft

= m(v - u)

NOTE: Impulse and Change in Momentum have the same dimensions.

📝 EXAMPLE:

A mass of 4 kg accelerates at 3 m/s² find the force.

SOLUTION

F = ma

F = 4 × 3 = 12 N

🔰 Work, Energy & Power

20. Work done: W = Fdcosθ

21. Kinetic energy: K.E = ½mv²

22. Work-energy Theorem: W = ΔK.E

23. Potential energy: P.E = mgh

24. Power: P = W/t OR

P = Fv

25. Efficiency: Efficiency = Work output ✖100%

Work input

Where,

✍ Work output = work done by load

✍ Work input = work done by effort {applied force} ➕ work done against friction
📝 EXAMPLE:

Find the kinetic energy of a 2 kg body moving at 5 m/s.

KE = ½mv²

KE = ½ × 2 × 25 = 25 J

🔰 Simple Machines

26. Mechanical Advantage (MA): MA = Load / Effort

27. Velocity Ratio (VR):

VR = Distance moved by effort

Distance moved by load

VR= 2πL/p --> FOR SCREW JACK

VR= 1/ sinθ --> FOR INCLINED PLANES

28. Efficiency of machines:

Efficiency = MA/VR ✖100%

NOTE: Efficiency is always less than 100% except in an ideal machine.

📝 EXAMPLE 1: A machine lifts a load of 400 N using an effort of 100 N find the M.A.

SOLUTION

MA = Load / Effort

MA = 400 / 100 = 4
📝 EXAMPLE 2: A screw jack has a lever arm length (L) of 21 cm and a pitch (p) of 0.3 cm, what
is the velocity ratio of the machine?

A) 70π

B) 114π

C) 140π

D) 210π

Solution:

VR = 2πL/p

VR = (2 × π × 21)/ 0.3

VR = 140π

📝 EXAMPLE 3: A lifting machine has a Velocity Ratio (VR) of 25 and a Mechanical Advantage
(MA) of 20. What is the efficiency of this machine?

A) 45%

B) 75%

C) 80%

D) 95%

Solution:

Using the formula, Efficiency = MA/VR × 100%

Efficiency = 20/25 × 100

= 0.8 × 100

= 80%

🔰 Elasticity & Hooke’s Law

29. Hooke’s Law: F = ke

Y = Stress ÷ Strain

Y = F/A ÷ e/L

31. Bulk Modulus: B = VΔP/ΔV

32. Energy Stored in a Spring: W = ½ke² = ½Fe = ½F²/k

33. Relationship between Elasticity and Thermal Expansion

F = YAαΔ∅

📝 EXAMPLE: A spring of constant 500 N/m is stretched by 0.02 m, find the Force.

SOLUTION

F = ke

F = 500 × 0.02 = 10 N

🔰 Pressure & Fluid Dynamics

34. Pressure: P = F / A

35. Pascal’s Principle: F1/A1= F2/A2

36. Hare's Law: p1/p2 = h2/h1

[Link] Pressure = ρhg + atmospheric pressure

38. Archimedes’ Principle:

Upthrust = Weight of displaced fluid

U = pVig

Vi => Volume of object immersed, p => Fluid's density g=> acceleration due to gravity

39. Principle of Floatation

Upthrust = Weight of the body

A force of 200 N acts on an area of 0.5 m². Find the pressure?

SOLUTION

P=F/A

P = 200 / 0.5 = 400 Pa

🔰 Heat & Thermodynamics

40. Heat capacity: Cp =Q/θ

41. Specific heat capacity: c = Q/mΔ∅

42. Latent heat: Q = mL

43. Charles’ Law: V1/T1= V2/T2

44. Boyle’s Law: P1V1 = P2V2

45. Gay-Lussac's (Pressure) Law: P1/T1 = P2/T2

46. General Gas Law: P1V1/T1 = P2V2 /T2

📝 EXAMPLE: Heat required to raise 2 kg of water by 5°C.

SOLUTION

Q = mcΔθ

Q = 2 × 4200 × 5 = 42,000 J

🔰 Heat and Temperature

47. Heat conducted per second: Q/t = kAΔ∅/x

48. Heat radiated per second: Q/t = εσAT⁴

49. Wave speed: v = fλ

50. Frequency: f =n/t = 1/T

51. Period: T=t/n = 1/f

52. Velocity of an Echo: V= 2d/T

53. Beat Frequency : f= f1 - f2

54. Distance between two Consecutive nodes/antinodes:

λ/2

55. Distance between a node and an antinode:

λ/4

56. Fundamental frequency in a vibrating string:

f= v/2l

57. Frequency of a Sonometer: f= k/l √T/M

📝 EXAMPLE

A wave has frequency 50 Hz and wavelength 2 m. Find the wave speed?

SOLUTION

v = fλ

v = 50 × 2 = 100 m/s

🔰 Light & Optics

58. Refractive index:

▪n = sin i / sin r

Where sin i => angle of incidence

sin r=> angle of refraction

Where v => velocity

▪n = R/A

Where R => Real depth, A => Apparent depth

•R=x+A

x => Apparent displacement.

➖ Lens formula:

59. Mirror equation: 1/f= 1/u + 1/v

60. Magnification: m =IH/OH = v/u

m=Image Height OR Image Distance

Object Height Object Distance

SHORTCUTS:

1).When looking for object distance, u:

u = fv/v-f

2). When looking for image distance, v:

v = fu/u-f

3). When looking for magnification with f and u:

4). When looking for magnification with f and v:

m = v/f - 1

61. Critical angle: sin C = 1/n

📝 EXAMPLE: If Real depth = 2 m, Apparent depth = 1.5 m. Find refractive index.

SOLUTION

n = Real depth / Apparent depth

n = 2 / 1.5 = 1.33

📝 EXAMPLE 2: An image is formed at a distance of 30 cm (v) from a mirror. If the focal length
(f) of the mirror is 10 cm, calculate the object distance (u).

A) 7.5 cm

B) 15 cm

C) 20 cm

D) 45 cm

Solution:

u = fv/v-f

u = (10 × 30)/(30-10) = 15 cm

EXAMPLE 3: An object is placed 15 cm (u) away from a concave mirror with a focal length (f) of
5 cm. Calculate the magnification (m) produced by the mirror.

A) 0.25
B) 0.50

C) 1.50

D) 2.00

Solution:

m = f/(u-f)

m = {5} ÷ {15 - 5} = 0.5

🔰 Gravitational Field

62. Gravitational Force: F = Gm₁m₂/r²

63. Satellite's Velocity: V = √(GM/r)

64. Escape Velocity: v = √2gR

65. Gravitational Potential: V = -GM/r

📝 EXAMPLE: Find the escape velocity of a body from the earth surface given that g = 10m/s² &
R = 6.4 × 10⁶m.

SOLUTION

Escape velocity from Earth: v = √(2gR)

v = √(2 × 10 × 6.4 × 10⁶)

v ≈ 1.13 × 10⁴ m/s (11.3 km/s)

🔰 Electricity & Magnetism

66. Ohm’s Law: V = IR

67. Resistivity: R = ρL/A

68. Conductivity: σ = 1/ρ

69. Electric power: P = IV = I²R = V²/R

70. Coulomb’s Law: F = k q1q2/r²

72. Electric Potential: V = Kq/r

73. Magnetic force: F = qvBsinθ

📝 EXAMPLE 1: A resistor of 10 Ω carries a current of 2 A. Find the voltage.

A. 5 V

B. 12 V

C. 20 V

D. 22 V

Solution: V = IR = 2 × 10 = 20 V

📝 EXAMPLE 2: A resistor of 5 Ω carries a current of 3 A. What is the power dissipated?

A. 15 W

B. 45 W

C. 9 W

D. 30 W

Solution:

P = I²R

P = 3² × 5

P=9×5

P = 45 W

📝 EXAMPLE 3: Two charges 3 μC and 6 μC are 2 m apart. Find the force between them. (k = 9
× 10⁹ N·m²/C²)

A. 40.5 N

B. 54 N
C. 32.4 N

D. 36 N

Solution:

F = k q₁q₂/r²

F = 9×10⁹ × (3×10⁻⁶ × 6×10⁻⁶)/2²

F= 9×10⁹ × 18×10⁻¹² / 4

F = 162×10⁻³ / 4 = 40.5 N

📝 EXAMPLE 4: A charge of 2 μC experiences a force of 0.6 N. Find the electric field intensity.

A. 0.2 N/C

B. 3 × 10⁵ N/C

C. 3 × 10⁴ N/C

D. 1.2 × 10⁵ N/C

Solution:

E = F/q

E = 0.6 / (2×10⁻⁶)

E = 3 × 10⁵ N/C

📝 EXAMPLE 5: A charge of 4 μC moves at 10³ m/s perpendicular to a 0.2 T magnetic field. Find
the force.

A. 0.0008 N

B. 0.2 N

C. 0.004 N

D. 0.02 N

Solution:

F = qvB = 4×10⁻⁶ × 10³ × 0.2

🔰 Modern Physics

74. Photoelectric effect:

E = hf = θ + K.E

θ = hfo, K.E = ½mv² = eV

75. Einstein’s mass-energy relation: E = mc²

76. Half-life: T½= 0.693/λ

77. Average Life: Tm = T½/In2 = 1/λ

78. Energy of electron at n level:

• En = - Eo/n²

Eo => Energy at ground state

79. de Broglie's Wavelength

• λ = h/p = h/√2mK.E = h/√2meVq

Where h=> Planck's Constant, p= momentum,

m= mass, K.E= Kinetic Energy eV= Energy in Electron Volts

q= Heat

📝 EXAMPLE 1: If Photon energy = 5 eV & Work function = 2 eV. Find the K.E of the photon.

SOLUTION

KE = E − θ

KE = 5 − 2 = 3 eV

📝 EXAMPLE 2: Find the energy equivalent of 2 g of mass. (c = 3×10⁸ m/s)

B. 1.8 × 10¹³ J

C. 1.8 × 10¹² J

D. 1.8 × 10¹⁵ J

Solution:

E = mc² = 0.002 × (3×10⁸)²

E = 0.002 × 9×10¹⁶

E = 1.8 × 10¹⁴ J

EXAMPLE 3: Photon frequency f = 1.2×10¹⁵ Hz, work function θ = 5×10⁻¹⁹ J, h = 6.63×10⁻³⁴ Js.
Max K.E.?

A. 2.96 × 10⁻¹⁹ J

B. 2.96 × 10⁻²⁰ J

C. 1.24 × 10⁻¹⁸ J

D. 1.24 × 10⁻¹⁹ J

Solution:

K.E = hf − θ = 6.63×10⁻³⁴ × 1.2×10¹⁵ − 5×10⁻¹⁹

K.E = 7.956×10⁻¹⁹ − 5×10⁻¹⁹

K. E = 2.956×10⁻¹⁹ = 2.96×10⁻¹⁹ J

EXAMPLE 5: A radioactive sample has decay constant λ = 0.01 s⁻¹. Find the half-life.

A. 69.3 s

B. 0.693 s

C. 6.93 s

D. 100 s

Solution:
T½ = 0.693 / λ

= 0.693 / 0.01

= 69.3 s

© 2025