Physics › Equations › Thermal physics

Thermal physics equations

The 8 equations the thermal physics notes display, each with a link to the lesson that states it. Of the 8, the data booklet prints 6, 1 is yours to memorise and 1 carries no badge either way.

Year 13 · 4 lessons with equations.

The marks refer to the AQA 7408 data booklet. An equation it prints is marked as such, and one it leaves out is marked to learn. An equation with no mark has not been checked against that booklet, and some of these belong to the Edexcel, OCR or CIE specification rather than AQA’s, so check them against your own board’s data or formula booklet.

4 lessons

Specific heat capacity and latent heat

Q=mcΔθQ = mc\Delta\thetaIN THE AQA DATA BOOKLET
P1−P2=(m1−m2)cΔθP_{1} − P_{2} = (m_{1} − m_{2})c\Delta\theta
Q=mlQ = mlIN THE AQA DATA BOOKLET

Ideal gases and the gas laws

pV=nRTpV = nRTIN THE AQA DATA BOOKLET
pV=NkTpV = NkTIN THE AQA DATA BOOKLET
W=pΔVW = p\Delta VNOT IN THE AQA DATA BOOKLET: LEARN IT

Constant pressure; W is the work done by the gas.

The kinetic theory model and its derivation

pV=13Nm(crms)2pV = \frac{1}{3}Nm(c_{rms})^{2}IN THE AQA DATA BOOKLET

What temperature means for a gas

12m(crms)2=3kT2=3RT2NA\frac{1}{2}m(c_{rms})^{2} = \frac{3kT}{2} = \frac{3RT}{2N_{A}}IN THE AQA DATA BOOKLET

Every equation in the library is indexed by unit on the equation index, and the thermal physics notes are where these equations are derived and used. The one the booklet leaves out is on the equations to memorise, alongside the rest of the course.

Also: Periodic motion equations · Gravitational fields equations