Booklet Mapped IB Physics Formula Sheet: 5 Rearrangements to Memorise
This IB Physics formula sheet gives you a syllabus-mapped, exam-ready summary for both SL and HL, built to mirror the structure of the official IB Physics Data Booklet. It highlights the equations you must memorise separately, and points you to printable practice resources on Tiber Tutor so you can drill formulas immediately, on paper or on screen.
TL;DR:
- The formula sheet emphasizes magnitude-only equations, requiring students to understand directions and signs during exam application.
- Key equations are grouped by themes A to E, with high-weighted topics like mechanics and waves to prioritize in revision.
- Students must memorize specific rearranged forms and conversions, such as kinematic variations and energy shortcuts, for quick responses.
- Using the official IB data booklet during practice enhances location memory and speeds up problem-solving under timed conditions.
- Practice with examiner-designed mock exams, flashcards, and timed drills, supported by resources from Tiber Tutor, improves formula recall and exam performance.
Table of Contents
- At-a-glance formula sheet for last-minute revision
- Formula breakdown by IB syllabus themes A to E
- What the official IB Physics Data Booklet contains
- Equations you must memorise before exam day
- How to use this sheet in your final revision push
- Tiber Tutor resources for formula practice and exam application
- A 48-hour checklist from an IB physics educator
- How Tiber Tutor helps you turn this sheet into exam marks
- Sources
- FAQ
At-a-glance formula sheet for last-minute revision
When exam day is close, you need one page that tells you what matters, not a textbook. The list below groups the equations that appear most often across Physics papers, organised the way your brain will actually need them under time pressure.
- Mechanics: v = u + at, s = ut + ½at², v² = u² + 2as, F = ma, and circular motion’s a = v²/r (SL and HL).
- Energy and work: Ek = ½mv², Ep = mgh, W = Fscosθ, and power as P = W/t (SL and HL).
- Waves and SHM: v = fλ, T = 1/f, and for SHM, x = x0cos(ωt) with a = -ω²x (SHM depth increases at HL).
- Electricity and magnetism: V = IR, P = IV, Coulomb’s law F = kq1q2/r², and magnetic force F = qvB (fields content expands significantly at HL).
- Thermal physics: the ideal gas relation pV = nRT, and Q = mcΔT for specific heat.
- Modern physics: the photoelectric equation E = hf - Φ, and E = mc² for mass-energy relations (nuclear and particle content is heavier at HL).
Every one of these appears in the official booklet in magnitude-only form. That’s a deliberate choice by the IB Physics programme, which strips out vector notation to keep the reference sheet clean and expects you to handle direction and sign yourself. Keep that in mind as you revise: knowing an equation is only half the job. Knowing when a quantity is negative, or which component to take, is the part that actually earns marks.
For a printable version organised the same way, Tiber Tutor’s IB Physics cram sheets follow this exact grouping, so you can move from this summary straight into timed recall practice without reformatting anything in your head.
Formula breakdown by IB syllabus themes A to E
The IB syllabus is organised around five themes, and the official data booklet follows the same structure. Knowing which theme an equation belongs to helps you predict where it will show up on a paper and how examiners tend to phrase questions around it.
Theme A: space, time and motion. This is where kinematics and Newton’s laws live. You’ll use v = u + at and s = ut + ½at² constantly in Paper 1 questions, often disguised as projectile or circular motion problems. For a quick example: a ball dropped from rest falls for 2 seconds under gravity (a = 9.81 m/s²); using s = ut + ½at², the drop distance works out to 0.5 x 9.81 x 2² = 19.62 metres. Circular motion adds a = v²/r, and HL students layer on angular momentum and relativistic kinematics.
Theme B: the particulate nature of matter. This covers thermal physics and the ideal gas law, pV = nRT, along with specific and latent heat relations. The constants you need, like the molar gas constant R and the Boltzmann constant, sit in the general section of the booklet rather than the topic-specific tables, so it’s worth knowing both locations rather than hunting during the exam.
Theme C: wave behaviour. The core relation v = fλ underpins almost every wave question you’ll see, from sound to light to standing waves. SHM formulae, x = x0cos(ωt) and a = -ω²x, appear from SL upward, but HL adds energy transformations within SHM and more demanding graph interpretation. A common exam trick is giving you frequency and asking for wavelength in a different medium, so always check what’s actually varying before you substitute.
Theme D: fields. Coulomb’s law, F = kq1q2/r², and the parallel electric field expressions dominate here, alongside magnetic force on a moving charge, F = qvB. Faraday’s law and electromagnetic induction are largely HL territory, and this is one of the densest sections of the booklet, so students often lose time flipping between pages. Capacitors in series and parallel follow rules explained clearly on LibreTexts/University_Physics_II_-Thermodynamics_Electricity_and_Magnetism(OpenStax)/08%3A_Capacitance/8.03%3A_Capacitors_in_Series_and_in_Parallel), which is worth a read if capacitance questions have been costing you marks.
Theme E: quantum and nuclear physics. The photoelectric equation, E = hf - Φ, and photon energy relations are SL and HL staples, while HL adds nuclear decay and particle physics content with its own constants. These questions often reward students who can move fluidly between energy in joules and electronvolts, so practise that conversion until it’s automatic.
A few points to hold onto across all five themes:
- Themes A and C carry the highest volume of Paper 1 marks, so prioritise fluency there first.
- Theme D has the steepest HL jump, particularly around induction and fields.
- Theme E rewards unit conversion accuracy as much as formula recall.
For deeper derivations behind SHM specifically, OpenStax’s chapter on simple harmonic motion walks through the reasoning step by step, which helps if you want to understand why the formula works rather than just memorising it.
What the official IB Physics Data Booklet contains
The booklet you’re given in the exam room isn’t a random equation list. It’s built in two clear parts, and understanding that structure saves you time when you’re under pressure.
- Part one covers general information: physical constants, unit conversions, and a handful of universal relationships that apply across topics.
- Part two is organised by theme, A through E, with equations grouped exactly the way the syllabus is taught.
The booklet is used across Papers 1A, 1B and 2, which means it’s available for the bulk of your written assessment. Every equation inside it is presented in magnitude-only form, with vector notation deliberately left out. That’s not a simplification for its own sake. It means you’re expected to reason through direction, sign and component breakdown yourself, on paper, during the exam.
One practical point worth repeating: your school must supply the official booklet for exams. Don’t rely on unofficial PDFs or reprints found online, since layout and content can be updated between exam cycles, and only the authorised version is guaranteed to match what you’ll see on the day. For a full walkthrough of when and how to use it across each paper, Tiber Tutor’s guide to the IB Physics Data Booklet covers the practical side in more depth.
Equations you must memorise before exam day
Not everything you need is printed in the booklet. A handful of rearrangements and derived forms have to live in your memory, ready to appear the moment a question calls for them.
- Rearranged kinematics. Practise solving for u, a or t from v = u + at, since Paper 1 often gives you the answer and asks you to work backwards.
- Energy conservation shortcuts. Know how to set Ek = Ep directly (½mv² = mgh) without writing out every intermediate step, since this appears constantly in projectile and pendulum questions.
- Vector to magnitude translation. Since the booklet strips out vector notation, practise decomposing forces and velocities into components on scrap paper before you substitute numbers.
- HL derivations for Paper 3. Angular momentum conservation and simple derivations in fields and quantum theory tend to appear here, so these need dedicated repetition rather than last-minute cramming.
- Unit conversions. Electronvolts to joules and Celsius to Kelvin cost more marks than they should, purely from being rushed.
A simple mnemonic for kinematics rearrangements: write “SUVAT” in the margin before you start Paper 1, and tick off which variable you’re solving for each time. It sounds basic, but it stops careless algebra errors under time pressure.
How to use this sheet in your final revision push
Formula knowledge only becomes marks when it’s paired with practice under real exam conditions. The tactics below convert memorisation into performance.
- Practise with the booklet open, every time. Solving problems with the physical booklet in front of you builds location memory, so you stop wasting seconds hunting for an equation mid-exam.
- Use active recall over passive reading. Cover the formula, write it from memory, then check. Repeating this with flashcards is far more effective than simply rereading a list.
- Run timed drills. Working through IB specimen papers under exam timing is one of the most effective ways to turn formula recall into exam-ready speed.
- Note key rearrangements on scrap paper first. Before substituting numbers, jot the rearranged formula so you’re not solving algebra and physics at the same time.
- Prioritise multi-formula questions. Questions that link two or three equations (energy into SHM, or fields into circular motion) carry more marks per minute of effort than single-step recall questions.
Pro Tip: Set a timer for 25 minutes, close every tab except the specimen paper, and don’t look at the booklet until you’ve attempted each question once from memory.
Spaced repetition works particularly well for formula recall. Short, frequent flashcard sessions across several days beat one long cram session, because recall strengthens each time you retrieve a formula rather than simply reread it.
Tiber Tutor resources for formula practice and exam application
Once you know which formulas matter, the next step is applying them under conditions that mirror the real exam. Tiber Tutor’s Physics resources are built by IB examiners specifically for that transition, from recall to application.
- Cram sheets condense every theme into the same structure used above, ideal for the final 48 hours before an exam.
- Mock exams replicate specimen paper timing and format, letting you practise with the booklet exactly as you would on the day.
- Flashcards support active recall for formulas and definitions, built around spaced repetition rather than one-off review.
- Topic-specific notes map directly onto themes A to E, so you can move from a weak area straight into targeted practice.
What sets these apart is how tightly they connect to each other. A weak result on a mock exam question about SHM links straight back to the relevant notes and flashcard set, with performance tracking showing exactly where the gap sits. That kind of interlinked, examiner-authored system, paired with progress analytics that flag your weakest theme automatically, isn’t something you’ll find matched in scope or polish anywhere else in the IB space. Start with the IB Physics notes if you’re rebuilding a topic from scratch, or head straight to mock exams if your formulas are solid and you need timing practice.
A 48-hour checklist from an IB physics educator
With two days left, print the official booklet and your cram sheet, then work through one specimen paper per subject area, booklet open, timer running. Sleep properly both nights: tired recall is unreliable recall. On the final day, review only your error log from mock papers, not new material. Careless mistakes (unit slips, sign errors, misreading a graph) cost more marks than gaps in knowledge ever do, so your last hours are better spent hunting those than learning anything new.
— Oliver
How Tiber Tutor helps you turn this sheet into exam marks
A formula sheet tells you what to know. Turning that into exam performance needs practice that’s built the same way the real exam is marked, which is where most generic PDFs fall short. Tiber Tutor’s Physics resources are written by practising IB examiners, so every cram sheet, mock exam and mark scheme reflects how questions are actually phrased and graded, not just what the syllabus lists.
Subscription options are available for multiple subjects including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Maths, with detailed pricing information available on the pricing page. Each includes progress tracking that flags your weakest formula categories automatically, something no static PDF or printed booklet can offer. If you’re deciding whether the platform fits your revision style, the free trial is the simplest way to check: work through a mock exam, review the examiner mark scheme, and see exactly where your formula recall needs work before your next paper.
Sources
FAQ
What formulas are not included in the IB Physics data booklet?
Rearranged forms of common equations, such as solving kinematics equations for a different variable, and vector-to-magnitude translations are not spelled out in the booklet. You need to practise these manipulations separately, since the booklet gives you the base relationship in magnitude form only.
Can I bring my own copy of the data booklet into the exam?
No. Your school must supply the official IB Physics Data Booklet for the exam session, since layout and content can change between cycles and only the authorised version is guaranteed to match the paper. Unofficial or outdated copies risk missing updated equations or constants.
Which papers allow use of the data booklet?
The data booklet is permitted in Papers 1A, 1B and 2 for both SL and HL Physics. Check your specific exam session instructions, since permitted materials can vary slightly by paper structure.
How is the HL formula sheet different from SL?
HL students face expanded content in fields, quantum and nuclear physics, plus additional derivations expected for Paper 3. The core equations for mechanics, waves and electricity overlap closely with SL, but HL layers on more advanced relationships within the same themes.
What’s the fastest way to memorise physics equations before an exam?
Active recall, writing a formula from memory before checking it, tends to work better than rereading a list repeatedly. Practising with specimen papers under timed conditions, with the official booklet open, is one of the most effective ways to convert memorised formulas into exam-ready speed.