AQA A-Level Physics data sheet: A complete guide for 2026
If you are sitting AQA A-Level Physics (specification 7408), you will be given a booklet called the Data and Formulae Booklet at the start of every paper. It contains the constants, equations, and relationships you need across the whole course. You do not have to memorise the contents, but you absolutely need to know your way around it.
The booklet is identical for Paper 1, Paper 2, and Paper 3. You get the same document in every exam. Invigilators hand it out alongside the question paper, so there is nothing to download into the exam itself.
This guide walks through what is on the AQA A-Level Physics data sheet, how the equations are grouped, and the most useful habits for using it well. Treat it as a working tool, not a safety net you only open when you are stuck.
Pages
9
of constants, equations and relationships in the AQA A-Level Physics Data and Formulae Booklet (7408), provided in every exam from Paper 1 through Paper 3
What's on the AQA A-Level Physics data sheet?
The booklet has two main parts. The first part lists fundamental constants, the masses of common particles, and conversion factors. The second part lists the equations, grouped by topic in the same order as the specification.
At the very start you also get a short table of geometric formulae (areas, volumes, trig identities) and some mathematical results that come up repeatedly in physics calculations. Most students skim past this section, but a quick familiarity check before the exam pays off when a question asks for the surface area of a sphere.
The equation section covers everything in the core specification plus the five Paper 3 optional topics (astrophysics, medical physics, engineering physics, turning points in physics, and electronics). Even if you are only sitting one option, the equations for the others are in the same booklet, so you will need to flick past them to find what you want.
Constants and physical data
The first page of the booklet lists the universal constants you need across the course. These values are given to three significant figures, which is the precision you should also use in your final answers unless the question specifies otherwise.
| Constant | Symbol | Value | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed of light in vacuum | c | 3.00 × 10⁸ | m s⁻¹ |
| Planck constant | h | 6.63 × 10⁻³⁴ | J s |
| Elementary charge | e | 1.60 × 10⁻¹⁹ | C |
| Electron mass | mₑ | 9.11 × 10⁻³¹ | kg |
| Proton mass | mₚ | 1.67(3) × 10⁻²⁷ | kg |
| Neutron mass | mₙ | 1.67(5) × 10⁻²⁷ | kg |
| Gravitational constant | G | 6.67 × 10⁻¹¹ | N m² kg⁻² |
| Permittivity of free space | ε₀ | 8.85 × 10⁻¹² | F m⁻¹ |
| Avogadro constant | Nₐ | 6.02 × 10²³ | mol⁻¹ |
| Molar gas constant | R | 8.31 | J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ |
| Boltzmann constant | k | 1.38 × 10⁻²³ | J K⁻¹ |
| Acceleration due to gravity (Earth) | g | 9.81 | m s⁻² |
Three significant figures is the convention for this booklet, so it is the convention examiners use when marking. If you write 2.998 × 10⁸ for the speed of light you will not lose marks, but a clean 3.00 × 10⁸ is what the mark scheme expects.
Equation list by topic
The equations in the booklet are arranged by specification topic. The tables below cover the most exam-relevant equations from each core section. The actual booklet has more equations than there is space to reproduce here, but these are the ones you will reach for most often.
Wherever a quantity has a less obvious unit, the booklet states it next to the equation. Memorising the units alongside the symbols is one of the best habits to build with the booklet.
Mechanics and materials
| Equation | Formula | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Equations of motion (uniform a) | v = u + at | Initial velocity u, final velocity v |
| Equation of motion (displacement) | s = ut + ½at² | s is displacement |
| Equation of motion (no time) | v² = u² + 2as | Useful when t is unknown |
| Newton's second law | F = ma | F is the resultant force |
| Work done | W = Fs cos θ | θ is the angle between F and motion |
| Kinetic energy | Eₖ = ½mv² | Translational kinetic energy |
| Gravitational PE (uniform g) | ΔEₚ = mgΔh | Near Earth's surface only |
| Power | P = Fv | Instantaneous mechanical power |
| Momentum | p = mv | Conserved in closed systems |
| Impulse | FΔt = Δ(mv) | Force × time = change in momentum |
| Hooke's law | F = kΔL | k is the spring constant |
| Elastic strain energy | E = ½FΔL | Equivalent to ½k(ΔL)² |
| Young modulus | E = (FL) / (AΔL) | Stress over strain |
Waves and optics
| Equation | Formula | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wave speed | c = fλ | c here is the wave speed, not light |
| Period and frequency | T = 1/f | T is period in seconds |
| Fringe spacing (double slit) | w = λD/s | D = slit-to-screen, s = slit separation |
| Diffraction grating | d sin θ = nλ | n is the order of the maximum |
| Refractive index | n = c / cₛ | cₛ is speed of light in substance |
| Snell's law | n₁ sin θ₁ = n₂ sin θ₂ | Standard refraction at a boundary |
| Critical angle | sin θ_c = n₂/n₁ | Only when n₁ > n₂ |
Quantum and electricity
| Equation | Formula | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Photon energy | E = hf | Also E = hc/λ |
| Photoelectric equation | hf = φ + Eₖ(max) | φ is the work function |
| de Broglie wavelength | λ = h/p | p is momentum |
| Charge flow | Q = It | Charge in coulombs |
| Ohm's law / resistance | V = IR | Definition of resistance |
| Electrical power | P = IV = I²R = V²/R | Three useful forms |
| Resistivity | R = ρL/A | ρ depends on material and temperature |
| EMF and internal resistance | ε = I(R + r) | r is internal resistance of cell |
Fields and further mechanics
| Equation | Formula | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Centripetal acceleration | a = v²/r = ω²r | Always directed towards centre |
| Angular speed | ω = 2π/T = 2πf | Radians per second |
| Simple harmonic motion | a = −ω²x | Defining equation of SHM |
| SHM displacement (cosine form) | x = A cos(ωt) | When max displacement at t = 0 |
| Newton's gravitation | F = Gm₁m₂/r² | Inverse square law |
| Gravitational field strength | g = GM/r² | Radial field around a point mass |
| Gravitational potential | V = −GM/r | Always negative for an attractive field |
| Coulomb's law | F = (1/4πε₀)(Q₁Q₂/r²) | Charges repel if same sign |
| Capacitance | C = Q/V | Farads = coulombs per volt |
| Energy stored on capacitor | E = ½QV = ½CV² | Two useful forms |
| Magnetic force on a wire | F = BIL | B perpendicular to current |
| Magnetic force on a moving charge | F = BQv | v perpendicular to B |
| EMF induced | ε = −dΦ/dt | Faraday's law |
Thermal, nuclear and particle physics
| Equation | Formula | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Specific heat capacity | Q = mcΔθ | θ is temperature change |
| Specific latent heat | Q = mL | L for fusion or vaporisation |
| Ideal gas (state) | pV = nRT | n is moles, T in kelvin |
| Ideal gas (kinetic) | pV = ⅓Nm⟨c²⟩ | N is number of molecules |
| Average KE of a molecule | ½m⟨c²⟩ = (3/2)kT | Links temperature to motion |
| Radioactive decay (number) | N = N₀e^(−λt) | λ is the decay constant |
| Activity | A = λN | Becquerels |
| Half-life | T_½ = ln(2) / λ | Time for activity to halve |
| Mass-energy equivalence | ΔE = Δmc² | Energy released in nuclear reactions |
A common mistake A-Level Physics students make with the data sheet is not opening it until they get stuck. Use it like a textbook reference: Look up the equation, then write it down at the start of your working before substituting any numbers. Examiners give method marks for writing down the correct equation even if the rest of your calculation goes wrong.
How to use the equation sheet effectively
The data sheet is a tool. Like any tool, you have to practise with it before you depend on it. Students who only see the booklet on exam day waste time hunting for equations they could have located in seconds.
One of the most useful habits is to use the official PDF during every past paper attempt. AQA publishes it on the resources section of their website. Print it out, slot it next to your question paper, and treat every practice attempt like the real exam. Within a few weeks you will know which page each topic is on without looking.
The second habit is writing the equation down explicitly at the start of each calculation. Even if you remember it, write it. Examiners award a substitution mark for the correct equation independently of the rest of the working. If your arithmetic later goes wrong, you still keep that mark.
The third habit is checking units. Most of the constants are given in SI base units, but a few mixed-unit traps catch students out. The molar gas constant is in J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹, so temperatures must be in kelvin and quantities in moles. Forgetting to convert is the most common arithmetic error in thermodynamics questions.
Common mistakes
The first common mistake is reaching for the wrong equation. The booklet has several similar-looking formulae, especially for energy and momentum. Students grab E = ½mv² when the question is about an extension and they need ½kx². The fix is to underline what the question is asking for before turning to the booklet.
The second is rearranging incorrectly. Many booklet equations are given in one canonical form. If you need to find a different variable, you have to rearrange on paper before substituting. Doing the algebra in your head is where signs get dropped and powers get inverted.
The third is mixing standard form. Half a calculation might be in 10⁻⁹ and the other half in 10⁻¹². Combine them carelessly and your answer is off by orders of magnitude. Write every number in standard form before you start, and let your calculator do the multiplication.
The fourth, and the most expensive on Paper 2 specifically, is forgetting the minus sign on gravitational potential. The booklet has it. Students copy the formula without it. The mark scheme penalises both sign and magnitude in field questions.
AQA A-Level Physics data sheet checklist
Build familiarity with the booklet before exam day. Run through this list during the final weeks of revision.
- Download the official Data and Formulae Booklet PDF from the AQA resources area
- Use the booklet for every past paper attempt, not just the harder questions
- Memorise where each topic sits in the booklet so you can flick straight to it
- Write each equation down explicitly before substituting numbers
- Check units before calculating, especially for R (J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹) and ε₀
- Practise rearranging the canonical form of every equation to solve for each variable
- Note the sign convention for gravitational and electrical potentials
- Skim the geometry and trig page so the surface-area formulae are not a surprise
