PHYSICAL CONSTANTS & MATHEMATICAL FORMULAE

Physical Constants
electron charge e = 1.60×10−19 C
electron mass me = 9.11×10−31 kg = 0.511 MeV c−2
proton mass mp = 1.673×10−27 kg = 938.3 MeV c−2
neutron mass mn = 1.675×10−27 kg = 939.6 MeV c−2
Planck’s constant h = 6.63×10−34 J s
Dirac’s constant (~ = h/2π) ~ = 1.05×10−34 J s
Boltzmann’s constant kB = 1.38×10−23 J K−1 = 8.62×10−5 eV K−1
speed of light in free space c = 299 792 458 m s−1 ≈ 3.00×108 m s−1
permittivity of free space ε0 = 8.85×10−12 F m−1
permeability of free space µ0 = 4π×10−7 H m−1
Avogadro’s constant NA = 6.02×1023 mol−1
gas constant R = 8.32 J mol−1 K−1
ideal gas volume (STP) V0 = 22.4 l mol−1
gravitational constant G = 6.67×10−11 N m2 kg−2
Rydberg constant R∞ = 1.10×107 m−1
Rydberg energy of hydrogen RH = 13.6 eV
Bohr radius a0 = 0.529×10−10 m
Bohr magneton µB = 9.27×10−24 J T−1
fine structure constant α ≈ 1/137
Wien displacement law constant b = 2.898×10−3 m K
Stefan’s constant σ = 5.67×10−8 W m−2 K−4
radiation density constant a = 7.55×10−16 J m−3 K−4
mass of the Sun M = 1.99×1030 kg
radius of the Sun R = 6.96×108 m
luminosity of the Sun L = 3.85×1026 W
mass of the Earth M⊕ = 6.0×1024 kg
radius of the Earth R⊕ = 6.4×106 m

Conversion Factors
1 u (atomic mass unit) = 1.66×10−27 kg = 931.5 MeV c−2 1 Å (angstrom) = 10−10 m
1 astronomical unit = 1.50×1011 m 1 g (gravity) = 9.81 m s−2
1 eV = 1.60×10−19 J 1 parsec = 3.08×1016 m
1 atmosphere = 1.01×105 Pa 1 year = 3.16×107 s
Polar Coordinates

x = r cos θ y = r sin θ dA = r dr dθ

1 ∂2
 
2 1 ∂ ∂
∇ = r + 2 2
r ∂r ∂r r ∂θ

Spherical Coordinates

x = r sin θ cos φ y = r sin θ sin φ z = r cos θ dV = r2 sin θ dr dθ dφ

∂2
   
2 1 ∂ 2 ∂ 1 ∂ ∂ 1
∇ = 2 r + 2 sin θ + 2 2
r ∂r ∂r r sin θ ∂θ ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ2

Calculus
f (x) f 0 (x) f (x) f 0 (x)
xn nxn−1 tan x sec2 x
sin−1 x √ 1


ex ex a a2 −x2
1
cos−1 xa − √a21−x2


ln x = loge x x
tan−1 xa a


sin x cos x a2 +x2
sinh−1 xa √ 1


cos x − sin x x2 +a2
cosh−1 xa √ 1


cosh x sinh x x2 −a2
tanh−1 xa a


sinh x cosh x a2 −x2
0 0
cosec x −cosec x cot x uv u v + uv
u0 v−uv 0
sec x sec x tan x u/v v2

Definite Integrals
Z ∞
n!
xn e−ax dx = (n ≥ 0 and a > 0)
0 an+1
+∞
Z r
−ax2 π
e dx =
−∞ a
Z +∞ r
2 −ax2 1 π
xe dx =
−∞ 2 a3
Z b b Z b du(x)
dv(x)
Integration by Parts: u(x) dx = u(x)v(x) − v(x) dx

a dx a a dx
Series Expansions

(x − a) 0 (x − a)2 00 (x − a)3 000

Taylor series: f (x) = f (a) + f (a) + f (a) + f (a) + · · ·
1! 2! 3!
n    
n
X n n−k k n n!
Binomial expansion: (x + y) = x y and =
k=0
k k (n − k)!k!
n(n − 1) 2
(1 + x)n = 1 + nx + x + ··· (|x| < 1)
2!
x 2 x3 x3 x5 x2 x4
ex = 1 + x + + +· · · , sin x = x − + −· · · and cos x = 1 − + −· · ·
2! 3! 3! 5! 2! 4!
x2 x3
ln(1 + x) = loge (1 + x) = x − + − ··· (|x| < 1)
2 3
n
X 1 − rn+1
Geometric series: rk =
k=0
1−r
Stirling’s formula: loge N ! = N loge N − N or ln N ! = N ln N − N

Trigonometry

sin(a ± b) = sin a cos b ± cos a sin b

cos(a ± b) = cos a cos b ∓ sin a sin b

tan a ± tan b
tan(a ± b) =
1 ∓ tan a tan b
sin 2a = 2 sin a cos a
cos 2a = cos2 a − sin2 a = 2 cos2 a − 1 = 1 − 2 sin2 a
sin a + sin b = 2 sin 21 (a + b) cos 12 (a − b)
sin a − sin b = 2 cos 12 (a + b) sin 12 (a − b)
cos a + cos b = 2 cos 12 (a + b) cos 12 (a − b)
cos a − cos b = −2 sin 12 (a + b) sin 21 (a − b)
eiθ = cos θ + i sin θ
1 iθ 1 iθ
e + e−iθ e − e−iθ



cos θ = and sin θ =
2 2i
1 θ 1 θ
e + e−θ e − e−θ



cosh θ = and sinh θ =
2 2
sin a sin b sin c
Spherical geometry: = = and cos a = cos b cos c+sin b sin c cos A
sin A sin B sin C
Vector Calculus

A · B = Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz = Aj Bj

A×B = (Ay Bz − Az By ) î + (Az Bx − Ax Bz ) ĵ + (Ax By − Ay Bx ) k̂ = ijk Aj Bk

A×(B×C) = (A · C)B − (A · B)C
A · (B×C) = B · (C×A) = C · (A×B)
∂φ ∂φ ∂φ
grad φ = ∇φ = ∂ j φ = î + ĵ + k̂
∂x ∂y ∂z
∂Ax ∂Ay ∂Az
div A = ∇ · A = ∂ j Aj = + +
∂x ∂y ∂z
     
∂Az ∂Ay ∂Ax ∂Az ∂Ay ∂Ax
curl A = ∇×A = ijk ∂ j Ak = − î + − ĵ + − k̂
∂y ∂z ∂z ∂x ∂x ∂y
∂ 2φ ∂ 2φ ∂ 2φ
∇ · ∇φ = ∇2 φ = + + 2
∂x2 ∂y 2 ∂z
∇×(∇φ) = 0 and ∇ · (∇×A) = 0
∇×(∇×A) = ∇(∇ · A) − ∇2 A