QCE Physics21 October 2026

QCAA Physics formula sheet: the formula and data book explained (QCE)

The QCAA Physics formula and data book is eight printed pages: formulas by unit topic on pages 1 to 4, physical constants and SI prefixes on pages 5 and 6, then a list of elements and a periodic table. QCAA provides it in both papers of the external exam and permits it in the IA1 data test. It prints no definitions, so this guide sets out every formula in the book by unit, with the symbols in plain English, then shows how to linearise them, how the uncertainty formulas work and how to use them on a calculation.

This guide describes the Physics 2025 syllabus (v1.2), which applied to Year 11 from 2025 and Year 12 from 2026, and the Physics 2025 v1.3 Formula and data book. The syllabus and the book carry different version numbers and the book does not say which syllabus version it pairs with. The cover of the copy we read prints no date, and QCAA's summary of changes for the 2026 external assessment says the Physics booklet has been updated without saying what changed. Open the current booklet from QCAA's Physics page and check it against the tables below.

The tables are regrouped from the book by unit, with symbol meanings added. Modified from the Physics 2025 v1.3 Formula and data book, © State of Queensland (QCAA) 2025, licensed under CC BY 4.0: the formulas and values are as printed, and the layout and grouping are ours. The symbol meanings are ours, in standard physics usage, and follow the syllabus dot points where those name the quantity. For the rest of the subject, see the QCAA Physics question bank (QCE) and the QCE Physics study guide.

Do you get the Physics formula and data book in the exam?

Yes, in both external papers, and in IA1. Both papers have the same conditions.

	IA1 data test	Paper 1	Paper 2
Perusal time	5 minutes	5 minutes	5 minutes
Working time	60 minutes	90 minutes	90 minutes
Calculator	QCAA-approved graphics or scientific	QCAA-approved graphics or scientific	QCAA-approved graphics or scientific
Formula and data book	Permitted	Provided by QCAA	Provided by QCAA

Assessment in Units 1 and 2 is developed by your school, so ask your teacher what a Year 11 task permits.

What is in the QCAA Physics formula and data book?

Printed page	What it holds
1	Processing of data, Heating processes, Ionising radiation and nuclear reactions, Special relativity
2	Electrical circuits, Electromagnetism
3	Linear motion and force, Gravity and motion
4	Waves, Quantum theory, The Standard Model
5 and 6	Physical constants and unit conversions, grouped under the same headings, and the SI prefixes
7	List of elements
8	Periodic table

Two blank pages and a licence page follow. There is no prose, no worked example and no statement of which assessment uses it. Below Processing of data, the formulas on pages 1 to 4 sit in two columns, and the left or right position carries no meaning.

Which formulas are on the Physics formula sheet?

Every formula in the book is below, in unit order, with the constants the book prints under the same heading. The book's heading is given with its page.

Processing of data (page 1)

These are not tied to a unit. The syllabus prints the same three under its science inquiry skills (p. 12), and they matter wherever a question asks about uncertainty or error.

$\Delta \bar{x} = \pm \dfrac{x_{max} - x_{min}}{2}$

$\text{percentage uncertainty (\%)} = \dfrac{\text{absolute uncertainty}}{\text{measurement}} \times 100\%$

$\text{percentage error (\%)} = \left|\dfrac{\text{measured value} - \text{true value}}{\text{true value}}\right| \times 100\%$

The first is the absolute uncertainty of the mean: half the spread between the largest and smallest readings. The second turns an absolute uncertainty into a percentage of the measurement it belongs to, and needs no accepted value. The third compares your result with a theoretical or accepted one, and the absolute-value bars mean the answer is never negative. The syllabus uses percentage error "when the experimental result can be compared with a theoretical or accepted result".

Unit 1: Thermal, nuclear and electrical physics

Heating processes (page 1)

Formula	What the symbols mean
$T_K = T_C + 273$	$T_K$ is the temperature in kelvin and $T_C$ the temperature in degrees Celsius
$\Delta U = Q + W$	$\Delta U$ is the change in internal energy of a system, $Q$ the energy added or removed by heating and $W$ the work done on or by the system
$Q = mc\Delta T$	$Q$ is the thermal energy transferred, $m$ the mass, $c$ the specific heat capacity and $\Delta T$ the change in temperature
$Q = mL$	$Q$ is the thermal energy transferred during a change of state, $m$ the mass and $L$ the specific latent heat
$\eta = \dfrac{\text{energy output}}{\text{energy input}} \times \dfrac{100}{1}\ \%$	$\eta$ is the efficiency as a percentage. The book prints the " $\times \frac{100}{1}$ " literally.

Constants (page 5):

Quantity	Value
Specific heat capacity of ice, $c_i$	$2.05\times10^{3}\ \text{J kg}^{-1}\text{ K}^{-1}$
Specific heat capacity of water, $c_w$	$4.18\times10^{3}\ \text{J kg}^{-1}\text{ K}^{-1}$
Specific heat capacity of steam, $c_s$	$2.00\times10^{3}\ \text{J kg}^{-1}\text{ K}^{-1}$
Latent heat of fusion for water, $L_f$	$3.34\times10^{5}\ \text{J kg}^{-1}$
Latent heat of vaporisation for water, $L_v$	$2.26\times10^{6}\ \text{J kg}^{-1}$

The syllabus prints the three specific heat capacities "using but not limited to" those values, so a question may supply another.

Ionising radiation and nuclear reactions (page 1)

Formula	What the symbols mean
$N = N_0 \left(\dfrac{1}{2}\right)^{n}$	$N$ is the amount of radioactive sample left (the number of undecayed nuclei), $N_0$ the amount you started with and $n$ the number of half-lives that have passed
$\Delta E = \Delta m c^{2}$	$\Delta E$ is the energy released, $\Delta m$ the mass converted to energy (the mass defect) and $c$ the speed of light. The book prints this again under Special relativity.

Constants (page 5): $1\ \text{eV} = 1.60\times10^{-19}\ \text{J}$ , $c = 3\times10^{8}\ \text{m s}^{-1}$ , $1\ \text{amu} = 1.66\times10^{-27}\ \text{kg}$ , and the masses of an alpha particle ( $6.6446572\times10^{-27}$ kg), an electron ( $9.1093835\times10^{-31}$ kg), a neutron ( $1.6749275\times10^{-27}$ kg) and a proton ( $1.6726219\times10^{-27}$ kg).

Electrical circuits (page 2)

Formula	What the symbols mean
$I = \dfrac{q}{t}$	$I$ is the current, $q$ the charge that passes and $t$ the time
$V = \dfrac{W}{q}$	$V$ is the potential difference, $W$ the energy transferred and $q$ the charge
$P = \dfrac{W}{t}$	$P$ is the power, $W$ the energy transferred and $t$ the time
$V = IR$	$R$ is the resistance
$P = VI$	Power from potential difference and current
$P = I^{2}R$	Power dissipated in a resistor, from current and resistance
$V_t = V_1 + V_2 + \ldots V_n$	Series: the total potential difference is the sum across each component
$R_t = R_1 + R_2 + \ldots R_n$	Series: the total resistance is the sum of the resistances
$I_t = I_1 + I_2 + \ldots I_n$	The total current is the sum of the branch currents (parallel)
$\dfrac{1}{R_t} = \dfrac{1}{R_1} + \dfrac{1}{R_2} + \ldots \dfrac{1}{R_n}$	Parallel: the reciprocal of the total resistance is the sum of the reciprocals

The subscript $t$ means total. The book lists these in a different order and does not label which are series and which are parallel. The labels above are ours, in standard usage. The syllabus dot point lists all four sums together for series and parallel circuits. Constant (page 5): the charge on an electron, $e = -1.6\times10^{-19}\ \text{C}$ .

Unit 2: Linear motion and waves

Linear motion and force (page 3)

Formula	What the symbols mean
$v = u + at$	$u$ is the initial velocity, $v$ the final velocity, $a$ the acceleration and $t$ the time (uniform acceleration in one dimension)
$s = ut + \dfrac{1}{2}at^{2}$	$s$ is the displacement
$v^{2} = u^{2} + 2as$	The same three equations of motion, with time eliminated
$a = \dfrac{F_{net}}{m}$	$F_{net}$ is the net (resultant) force and $m$ the mass
$p = mv$	$p$ is the momentum
$\sum mv_{before} = \sum mv_{after}$	Conservation of momentum: total momentum before a collision equals the total after
$W = \Delta E$	$W$ is the work done and $\Delta E$ the change in energy
$W = Fs$	Work from a force $F$ acting over a displacement $s$
$E_k = \dfrac{1}{2}mv^{2}$	$E_k$ is the kinetic energy
$\Delta E_p = mg\Delta h$	$\Delta E_p$ is the change in gravitational potential energy, $g$ the acceleration due to gravity and $\Delta h$ the change in height
$\sum \dfrac{1}{2}mv^{2}_{before} = \sum \dfrac{1}{2}mv^{2}_{after}$	Conservation of kinetic energy, which holds for an elastic collision

Constant (page 5): the mean acceleration due to gravity on Earth, $g = 9.8\ \text{m s}^{-2}$ .

Waves (page 4)

Formula	What the symbols mean
$v = f\lambda$	$v$ is the wave speed, $f$ the frequency and $\lambda$ the wavelength
$f = \dfrac{1}{T}$	$T$ is the period
$L = n\dfrac{\lambda}{2}$	Standing waves: $L$ is the length of the string or pipe and $n$ the harmonic number. The syllabus names pipes open at both ends, pipes closed at one end and stretched strings without pairing each with a formula. In standard usage this one covers open pipes and strings.
$L = (2n-1)\dfrac{\lambda}{4}$	Standing waves in a pipe closed at one end, with $n$ the harmonic number
$\dfrac{\sin i}{\sin r} = \dfrac{v_1}{v_2} = \dfrac{\lambda_1}{\lambda_2} = \dfrac{n_2}{n_1}$	Refraction at a boundary: $i$ is the angle of incidence, $r$ the angle of refraction, $v_1$ and $v_2$ the wave speeds in medium 1 and 2, $\lambda_1$ and $\lambda_2$ the wavelengths and $n_1$ and $n_2$ the refractive indices
$I \propto \dfrac{1}{r^{2}}$	The intensity of light is inversely proportional to the square of the distance $r$ from the source

Constant (page 6): the speed of sound in air at 25 °C, $v_s = 346\ \text{m s}^{-1}$ .

Unit 3: Gravity and electromagnetism

Gravity and motion (page 3)

Formula	What the symbols mean
$v_y = u_y + gt$	Projectile motion, vertical component: $u_y$ and $v_y$ are the initial and final velocities in the $y$ direction, with $g$ the acceleration due to gravity
$s_y = u_y t + \dfrac{1}{2}gt^{2}$	$s_y$ is the vertical displacement
$v_y^{2} = u_y^{2} + 2gs_y$	The vertical equation with time eliminated
$v_x = u_x$	Projectile motion, horizontal component: the velocity is constant when drag is ignored
$s_x = u_x t$	$s_x$ is the horizontal displacement
$F_g = mg$	$F_g$ is the force due to gravity (weight) and $m$ the mass
$v = \dfrac{2\pi r}{T}$	Uniform circular motion: $v$ is the speed, $r$ the radius and $T$ the period
$a_c = \dfrac{v^{2}}{r}$	$a_c$ is the centripetal acceleration
$F_c = F_{net} = \dfrac{mv^{2}}{r}$	$F_c$ is the centripetal force, which is the net force on the object
$F = \dfrac{GMm}{r^{2}}$	The gravitational force between two masses $M$ and $m$ a distance $r$ apart, with $G$ the gravitational constant
$g = \dfrac{F}{m} = \dfrac{GM}{r^{2}}$	$g$ is the gravitational field strength at a distance $r$ from a mass $M$
$\dfrac{T_a^{2}}{r_a^{3}} = \dfrac{T_b^{2}}{r_b^{3}} = \dfrac{4\pi^{2}}{GM}$	Kepler's third law: $T_a$ and $T_b$ are the orbital periods and $r_a$ and $r_b$ the orbital radii of two objects orbiting the same body of mass $M$

Constants (page 6): $G = 6.67\times10^{-11}\ \text{N m}^{2}\,\text{kg}^{-2}$ , the mass of the Earth ( $5.97\times10^{24}$ kg), the Moon ( $7.35\times10^{22}$ kg) and the Sun ( $1.99\times10^{30}$ kg). The book lists masses only, with no radii and no orbital distances.

Electromagnetism (page 2)

Formula	What the symbols mean
$F = \dfrac{1}{4\pi\varepsilon_0}\dfrac{Qq}{r^{2}} = \dfrac{kQq}{r^{2}}$	Coulomb's law: the force between charges $Q$ and $q$ a distance $r$ apart, with $\varepsilon_0$ the permittivity of free space and $k$ Coulomb's constant
$E = \dfrac{F}{q} = \dfrac{1}{4\pi\varepsilon_0}\dfrac{q}{r^{2}} = \dfrac{kq}{r^{2}}$	$E$ is the electric field strength, the force per unit charge, and at a distance $r$ from a point charge $q$ it reduces to $kq/r^2$
$V = \dfrac{\Delta U}{q}$	$V$ is the electric potential difference, $\Delta U$ the change in electrical potential energy and $q$ the charge moved
$B = \dfrac{\mu_0 I}{2\pi r}$	$B$ is the magnetic flux density at a distance $r$ from a long straight wire carrying current $I$ , with $\mu_0$ the permeability of free space
$B = \mu_0 n I$	$B$ inside a solenoid, with $n$ the number of turns per metre
$F = BIL\sin\theta$	The force on a length $L$ of wire carrying current $I$ in a field $B$ , with $\theta$ the angle between the wire and the field
$F = qvB\sin\theta$	The force on a charge $q$ moving at speed $v$ in a field $B$ , with $\theta$ the angle between the velocity and the field
$\phi = BA\cos\theta$	$\phi$ is the magnetic flux through a loop of area $A$ , with $\theta$ the angle between the field and the normal to the loop
$\text{emf} = -\dfrac{N\Delta(BA_{\perp})}{\Delta t}$	Faraday's law: the induced emf for a coil of $N$ turns is the rate of change of $BA_\perp$ , the field times the area perpendicular to it
$\text{emf} = -N\dfrac{\Delta\phi}{\Delta t}$	The same law written with the change in flux $\Delta\phi$ over the time $\Delta t$
$I_p V_p = I_s V_s$	Transformer: power in the primary coil equals power in the secondary coil. $p$ and $s$ mean primary and secondary.
$\dfrac{V_p}{V_s} = \dfrac{N_p}{N_s}$	Transformer: the potential differences are in the ratio of the numbers of turns

Constants (page 5): $k = \dfrac{1}{4\pi\varepsilon_0} = 9\times10^{9}\ \text{N m}^{2}\,\text{C}^{-2}$ and $\mu_0 = 4\pi\times10^{-7}\ \text{T m A}^{-1}$ . The charge on an electron, $e = -1.6\times10^{-19}\ \text{C}$ , is printed under Electrical circuits.

The angle $\theta$ means something different in each of the three sine and cosine formulas, so state which angle you mean in your working.

Unit 4: Revolutions in modern physics

Special relativity (page 1)

Formula	What the symbols mean
$t = \dfrac{t_0}{\sqrt{1 - \dfrac{v^{2}}{c^{2}}}}$	Time dilation: $t$ is the relativistic time interval, $t_0$ the proper time interval, $v$ the relative speed and $c$ the speed of light
$L = L_0 \sqrt{1 - \dfrac{v^{2}}{c^{2}}}$	Length contraction: $L$ is the relativistic length and $L_0$ the proper length
$p_v = \dfrac{m_0 v}{\sqrt{1 - \dfrac{v^{2}}{c^{2}}}}$	$p_v$ is the relativistic momentum and $m_0$ the rest mass
$\Delta E = \Delta m c^{2}$	Mass-energy equivalence, printed here as well as under Ionising radiation

The constant is $c = 3\times10^{8}\ \text{m s}^{-1}$ (page 5).

Quantum theory (page 4)

Formula	What the symbols mean
$\lambda_{max} = \dfrac{b}{T}$	Blackbody radiation: $\lambda_{max}$ is the wavelength of peak emission, $b$ Wien's displacement constant and $T$ the temperature in kelvin
$E = hf = \dfrac{hc}{\lambda}$	$E$ is the energy of a photon, $h$ Planck's constant, $f$ the frequency and $\lambda$ the wavelength
$E_k = hf - W$	The photoelectric effect: $E_k$ is the maximum kinetic energy of an emitted electron and $W$ the work function of the metal
$W = hf_0$	$f_0$ is the threshold frequency
$n\lambda = 2\pi r$	Bohr model: an orbit holds a whole number $n$ of electron wavelengths around its circumference $2\pi r$
$mvr = \dfrac{nh}{2\pi}$	Bohr model: the angular momentum of an electron of mass $m$ and speed $v$ in orbit $n$ is quantised
$\lambda = \dfrac{h}{p}$	The de Broglie wavelength of a particle of momentum $p$
$\dfrac{1}{\lambda} = R\left(\dfrac{1}{n_f^{2}} - \dfrac{1}{n_i^{2}}\right)$	The wavelength of a spectral line, with $R$ the Rydberg constant and $n_f$ and $n_i$ the final and initial energy levels

Constants (page 6): $b = 2.898\times10^{-3}\ \text{m K}$ , $h = 6.626\times10^{-34}\ \text{J s}$ and $R = 1.097\times10^{7}\ \text{m}^{-1}$ .

The Standard Model (page 4)

Formula	What the symbols mean
$B = n_b - n_{\bar{b}}$	$B$ is the baryon number: the number of baryons minus the number of antibaryons
$B = \dfrac{1}{3}\left(n_q - n_{\bar{q}}\right)$	The same baryon number counted from quarks and antiquarks, each quark carrying one third
$L = n_l - n_{\bar{l}}$	$L$ is the lepton number: the number of leptons minus the number of antileptons

In the 2019 syllabus the Standard Model dot points named no relationships. They asked students to recall the conservation of lepton number and baryon number, and noted that students did not need to determine either quantitatively (2019, p. 55). The 2025 syllabus asks them to solve problems using these three, and QCAA's 2026 external assessment summary lists it as explicitly assessable in Unit 4 (p. 11). Papers set up to and including 2025 were written under the 2019 syllabus, so none of them were set against this dot point.

SI prefixes, elements and the periodic table

Page 6 prints the SI prefixes from atto ( $10^{-18}$ ) to tera ( $10^{12}$ ). Page 7 lists the elements and page 8 is the periodic table, with groups numbered 1 to 18 under the IUPAC convention and bracketed masses for the isotope with the longest half-life. The list of elements prints "Cesium", where the usual Australian spelling is caesium.

Why does the same letter mean different things?

The book never says which meaning applies, and several letters change meaning between formulas.

Symbol	Meanings in the book
$n$	Number of half-lives ( $N = N_0\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^n$ ), harmonic number ( $L = n\frac{\lambda}{2}$ ), turns per metre ( $B = \mu_0 n I$ ), refractive index ( $\frac{n_2}{n_1}$ ), orbit number ( $n\lambda = 2\pi r$ )
$T$	Temperature in kelvin ( $T_K$ and $\lambda_{max} = \frac{b}{T}$ ), period ( $f = \frac{1}{T}$ , $v = \frac{2\pi r}{T}$ , Kepler's third law)
$g$	The mean value $9.8\ \text{m s}^{-2}$ in the constants, and the gravitational field strength in $g = \frac{GM}{r^2}$
$W$	Work done ( $W = Fs$ ), energy transferred ( $V = \frac{W}{q}$ ), work function ( $E_k = hf - W$ )
$\Delta E$	Change in energy ( $W = \Delta E$ ), energy released by a mass change ( $\Delta E = \Delta m c^2$ )
$r$	Radius of a circle, separation of two masses or charges, distance from a wire or a source, angle of refraction ( $\sin r$ )

Before you substitute, say in a few words which quantity each letter stands for in this question.

What is not in the QCAA Physics formula and data book?

Absence from the book is a statement about the book. It isn't a statement about what the syllabus assesses, so check the dot points as well. In the copy we read:

There is no Doppler effect formula, no Hooke's law or spring energy, no moment or torque formula, no relativistic kinetic energy and no resistivity formula.
There is no radioactive decay constant form and no photon momentum beyond $\lambda = \frac{h}{p}$ .
There is no lens or mirror equation. The syllabus asks for ray diagrams to find the location, orientation and size of an image, which is a method.
The constants pages give the masses of the Earth, Moon and Sun but no radii or orbital distances, so a gravity question has to supply them.
The speed of sound is given for air at 25 °C only.

The syllabus also shows which parts of a Physics question are not a formula at all, and no booklet can do these for you:

Methods. Resolving a vector into perpendicular components, drawing free-body diagrams, constructing ray diagrams and balancing nuclear equations are dot points with no relationship attached.
Choosing the relationship. QCAA advises teachers writing IA1 papers to minimise scaffolding, including repetition of information from the dataset or the formula and data book in the question. Its example is "Calculate the percentage error" in place of "Calculate the percentage error using" the formula (2025 report, pp. 9-10). Expect the question to leave the choice to you.
Rearrangements and combinations. A relationship appears once in the book, but questions often need it turned round or combined with another. In a 2025 exam question, one student response QCAA reproduces rearranged the third law into $T = \sqrt{\dfrac{4\pi^2 r^3}{GM}}$ before substituting (2025 report, p. 30).
Reasons. Every Describe, Explain and State dot point with no formula is yours to answer in words.

How do you linearise the Physics formulas?

Linearising means rearranging a relationship into the form $y = mx + c$ , so the gradient and intercepts carry physical meaning. QCAA names this as something the cohort does well. In 2024 (p. 28) it describes students who identified intercepts on graphs and related the values to physics formulas, "e.g. using the y-intercept to determine the magnetic flux density or using the x-intercept to determine the work function", and who took two points on a trendline to calculate a gradient and related it to a formula, "e.g. using the gradient to determine the speed of an object". The 2024 IA2 advice points the same way: trends in the data should be linearised, if appropriate, and linked to a relevant physics formula (p. 17). The Unit 2 syllabus example is a dataset linearised as $t^2$ against $s$ .

The table is our rearrangement of formulas in the book.

Relationship	Plot	Gradient	Intercept
$V = IR$	$V$ against $I$	$R$	through the origin
$Q = mc\Delta T$	$Q$ against $\Delta T$	$mc$	through the origin
$v^2 = u^2 + 2as$	$v^2$ against $s$	$2a$	y-intercept $u^2$
$s = ut + \dfrac{1}{2}at^2$ , so $\dfrac{s}{t} = u + \dfrac{1}{2}at$	$\dfrac{s}{t}$ against $t$	$\dfrac{a}{2}$	y-intercept $u$
$s = \dfrac{1}{2}at^2$ from rest	$t^2$ against $s$	$\dfrac{2}{a}$	through the origin
$v = f\lambda$ , so $\lambda = \dfrac{v}{f}$	$\lambda$ against $\dfrac{1}{f}$	$v$	through the origin
$F = \dfrac{GMm}{r^2}$	$F$ against $\dfrac{1}{r^2}$	$GMm$	through the origin
$\dfrac{T^2}{r^3} = \dfrac{4\pi^2}{GM}$	$T^2$ against $r^3$	$\dfrac{4\pi^2}{GM}$	through the origin
$E_k = hf - W$	$E_k$ against $f$	$h$	y-intercept $-W$ , x-intercept $f_0$
$\lambda_{max} = \dfrac{b}{T}$	$\lambda_{max}$ against $\dfrac{1}{T}$	$b$	through the origin

How do you use the uncertainty and error formulas?

Take three timings of a swinging pendulum: 1.52 s, 1.55 s and 1.58 s. The mean is 1.55 s. The absolute uncertainty of the mean is half the spread:

$\Delta \bar{x} = \pm \dfrac{1.58 - 1.52}{2} = \pm 0.03\ \text{s}$

The percentage uncertainty is the absolute uncertainty over the measurement:

$\dfrac{0.03}{1.55} \times 100\% = 1.9\%$

Now suppose that a pendulum experiment gives $g = 9.5\ \text{m s}^{-2}$ . Compare it with the book's value of 9.8:

$\left|\dfrac{9.5 - 9.8}{9.8}\right| \times 100\% = 3.1\%$

Percentage uncertainty describes how well you measured. Percentage error describes how far you landed from an accepted value. The syllabus also asks you to find uncertainty in a gradient or intercept using minimum and maximum lines of best fit on a graph with vertical error bars (Unit 2, p. 27).

Worked examples using the book

Each example uses only the formulas and constants printed in the book. The scenarios are ours.

Kepler's third law with the Sun's mass (Unit 3)

A planet orbits the Sun at a radius of $2.0\times10^{11}$ m. What is its period? Use $\dfrac{T^2}{r^3} = \dfrac{4\pi^2}{GM}$ with $M = 1.99\times10^{30}$ kg and $G = 6.67\times10^{-11}$ .

$\dfrac{4\pi^2}{GM} = \dfrac{4\pi^2}{6.67\times10^{-11} \times 1.99\times10^{30}} = 2.97\times10^{-19}\ \text{s}^2\,\text{m}^{-3}$ .

$T^2 = 2.97\times10^{-19} \times (2.0\times10^{11})^3 = 2.38\times10^{15}\ \text{s}^2$ , so $T = 4.9\times10^{7}\ \text{s}$ .

Photoelectric effect (Unit 4)

Light of frequency $7.5\times10^{14}$ Hz shines on a metal with a work function of $3.0\times10^{-19}$ J. Find the maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons and the threshold frequency. Use $h = 6.626\times10^{-34}$ J s.

$E_k = hf - W = 6.626\times10^{-34} \times 7.5\times10^{14} - 3.0\times10^{-19} = 2.0\times10^{-19}\ \text{J}$ .

$f_0 = \dfrac{W}{h} = \dfrac{3.0\times10^{-19}}{6.626\times10^{-34}} = 4.5\times10^{14}\ \text{Hz}$ .

The incident frequency is above the threshold frequency, which is why electrons are emitted.

How do exam questions use the formula and data book?

QCAA makes the same point about formulas in two consecutive subject reports. In 2024 (p. 29) it recommends that teachers support students to understand the meaning of formulas "both conceptually and contextually", and in 2025 (p. 28) "both the concepts and contexts of formulas", in each case "to promote correct usage and enhance" accuracy in problem-solving. The 2024 report goes further on explain questions: students need to provide more than basic descriptions or "a simple transcription of an equation from the Physics formula and data book".

Our own marking data shows that formula dot points are not easy marks. Across marked attempts on AusGrader, the dot points on the force between two masses, $F = \frac{GMm}{r^2}$ , and on electric field strength are among our weakest dot points: 44.3% over 340 attempts and 44.4% over 315 attempts. The QCAA Physics hardest topics (QCE) guide has the full ranking.

Say why the formula applies

The 2025 report prints two questions where the formula sits inside an explanation. In the first (p. 29), students were given Earth's orbital data and asked to calculate the time for Saturn to complete one revolution around the Sun. QCAA says effective student responses recognised the use of Kepler's third law, converted Earth's orbital period into seconds, showed their mathematical reasoning and reached the correct time. It also prints what it calls a valid alternative response, "which uses Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation and the mass of the Sun before applying Kepler's third law".

In the second (pp. 30-31), a question asked students to explain how the photoelectric effect gave evidence for the particle nature of light. QCAA reproduces a response "to demonstrate a valid response from students who included reference to appropriate formulas to support their explanation". The student wrote that the incident frequency must exceed the threshold frequency of the metal, "(outlined in $E_k = hf_i - hf_0$ )". The equation backs a sentence of explanation. It doesn't replace one.

The common traps

How to practise using the sheet

The way to learn a formula sheet is to use it on questions that were written to be answered with it. Work through real QCAA questions on Gravity and motion and Electromagnetism first, since our hardest topics ranking starts there, then Special relativity, Quantum theory and The Standard Model. Each question comes with its marking criteria, so you can check whether your working earned the method marks as well as the final answer.

For each question, run the same three steps. Name the relationship before you write a number. Write one line saying why it fits. Check that your units survive the substitution.

If you are preparing for the data test rather than the exam, the QCE Physics IA1 data test guide covers how the same relationships appear in a 60-minute paper built from unseen datasets.

Frequently asked questions

Do you get a formula sheet in the QCAA Physics exam?

Yes. The 2025 syllabus lists the QCAA Physics formula and data book as a resource QCAA provides in both external assessment papers, and as a permitted resource in IA1. Each paper has 5 minutes perusal and 90 minutes working time, and you can also use a QCAA-approved graphics or scientific calculator.

Is the percentage error formula on the QCAA Physics formula sheet?

Yes. Page 1 of the book, under Processing of data, prints the absolute uncertainty of the mean, percentage uncertainty and percentage error, and the percentage error fraction sits inside absolute-value bars. QCAA's 2025 subject report advises teachers writing IA1 papers not to repeat the formula in the question, so expect to be asked to calculate the percentage error without the formula printed beside it.

Does the Physics formula and data book define the symbols?

No. The book is eight printed pages of formulas, constants, SI prefixes and tables, with no prose and no symbol list. The same letter carries different meanings in different formulas: n is a number of half-lives, a harmonic number, a number of turns per metre, a refractive index or an orbit number, and T is a temperature in one formula and a period in others.

Is Hooke's law or the Doppler effect in the QCAA Physics formula and data book?

Neither is printed in the copy we read. The book also has no torque, resistivity, relativistic kinetic energy or radioactive decay constant formula, and no lens or mirror equation. Absence from the book is not the same as absence from the syllabus, so check the dot points for anything you expect to calculate.

Why do I lose marks when I use the right formula?

QCAA's 2024 and 2025 subject reports both recommend that teachers help students understand formulas conceptually and in context, and the 2024 report adds that an explain answer needs more than a simple transcription of an equation from the formula and data book. Choosing the formula is rarely the problem. Saying why it applies, and what each quantity is in this question, is.

Are the Year 11 Physics formulas in the same book?

Yes. The book is organised by unit topic and prints the Unit 1 and Unit 2 relationships (heating processes, ionising radiation and nuclear reactions, electrical circuits, linear motion and force, waves) on the same pages as the Year 12 ones. Year 11 tasks are set by your school, so ask your teacher which resources a given task permits.

Sources

Physics 2025 v1.3 Formula and data book, QCAA, pp. 1-8. Every formula (pp. 1-4), the constants and unit conversions (pp. 5-6), the SI prefixes (p. 6), the list of elements (p. 7) and the periodic table (p. 8). The cover prints a version number and no date.
Physics 2025 v1.2 General Senior Syllabus, QCAA, October 2024, p. 6, p. 12, pp. 20-29, pp. 31-39, p. 41, p. 52. The dot points that name each relationship, which the symbol readings below follow, the science inquiry skills formulas, and the resources provided for IA1 and the external assessment.
Physics 2019 v1.2 General Senior Syllabus, QCAA, June 2018, pp. 24, 29, 39, 55. The earlier notation for Ohm's law, Newton's second law and the induction and transformer relationships, for readers working from older papers, and the earlier Standard Model dot points.
Physics subject report, 2025 cohort, QCAA, January 2026, pp. 9-10, 28-31. Exam advice on understanding formulas, the Kepler's third law and photoelectric effect worked questions, and the over-scaffolded IA1 example.
Physics subject report, 2024 cohort, QCAA, January 2025, pp. 16-17, 28-29. Exam advice on formulas and the formula and data book, intercepts and gradients related to formulas, and the IA2 advice on linearising and choosing equations that fit the experiment.
Key senior subject changes: for external assessment in 2026, QCAA, July 2026, p. 11. The Physics paragraph: lepton and baryon number conservation, perusal time, and the updated formula and data booklet.
AusGrader marking data, QCE Physics, AusGrader. Marked attempts on dot points that name a relationship, used only where it supports a QCAA finding.

Syllabus and assessment material referenced in this guide is © State of Queensland (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority), licensed under CC BY 4.0. See our QCAA licensing notice. AusGrader is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the QCAA.

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