MATHEMATICS REVIEW - APPENDIXES - SAT Subject Test Physics

SAT Subject Test Physics (2012)

APPENDIXES

APPENDIX A. MATHEMATICS REVIEW

It is often said that mathematics is the language of physics. Therefore, it is in your best interest to be comfortable with the basic math knowledge you will need to interpret and solve physics problems.

Algebra

Scientific notation: Any number can be written as a power of image The first number must be image

Exponents: Any number can be written in the form of a base number raised to a power.

image

Undefined values: A fraction is undefined when the denominator equals 0. image is undefined when image.

Factorial: The symbol n! represents the product of all positive integers from 1 to n.

image

Multiplication involving binomials (FOIL method): Distribute each value:

image

Logarithms: If image, then image.

image

Geometry

Equations of common shapes:

Line with slope m and y-intercept b: image (slope-intercept)
image (point-slope)

Circle with radius r centered at the origin: image

Parabola whose vertex is at image

Ellipse with semimajor axis a and semiminor axis image

Pythagorean Theorem:

For a right triangle: image

image

Area:

Triangle: image

Rectangle: image

Circle: image

Sector of a circle: image

Volume:

Prism: image

Pyramid: image

Cylinder: image

Cone: image

Sphere: image

Trigonometry

Trigonometric functions:

image

image

Laws:

image

image