GCSE Science Equations: Complete List for 2026
Every GCSE science equation your child needs sits across three subjects, each with completely different rules about what is provided in the exam. Physics gives students an equation sheet. Chemistry gives them nothing. Biology barely has equations at all. If that sounds confusing, you are not alone.
This guide lists every equation across physics, chemistry, and biology, tells you exactly which are given in the exam and which must be memorised, and explains how to actually use them under exam conditions. It covers AQA, Edexcel, and OCR for both Combined and Triple Science.
The Equation Sheet Situation for 2026
The rules around equation sheets have changed significantly. Before 2022, students had to memorise every physics equation, split into “recall” equations and “given” equations. The recall list had to be committed to memory; the given list appeared in the question when needed.
Since 2022, all physics equations are provided on a sheet. The DfE and Ofqual confirmed this arrangement continues for 2025, 2026, and 2027. The old recall/given split no longer applies.
Which Exams Get the Sheet?
The physics equation sheet is provided in both Combined Science and Triple Science exams. Whether your child sits AQA, Edexcel, or OCR, the sheet is included with the physics paper. Combined Science students receive a sheet covering the equations relevant to their syllabus. Triple Science physics students get a more extensive sheet that includes additional equations for the Triple-only content.
Chemistry exams provide the periodic table, which includes relative atomic masses needed for calculations. But there is no equation sheet at all. Every formula for moles, concentration, atom economy, and percentage yield must be memorised. This is where most students lose marks.
Will It Continue After 2027?
The DfE has not confirmed whether physics equation sheets will continue beyond 2027. The decision depends on the outcome of the broader Curriculum and Assessment Review. If your child is taking GCSEs in 2025, 2026, or 2027, the sheet is guaranteed. Beyond that, assume nothing.
Every GCSE Physics Equation
Below is the complete GCSE physics equations list, based on the AQA Physics 8463 specification. The equations are very similar across Edexcel and OCR. All of these are provided on the equation sheet for 2026 exams, so your child does not need to memorise them. But they absolutely need to know what each one means and when to use it.
Energy and Power
| Equation | What It Calculates |
|---|---|
| KE = ½mv² | Kinetic energy (energy of a moving object) |
| GPE = mgh | Gravitational potential energy (energy from height) |
| EPE = ½ke² | Elastic potential energy (energy in a stretched spring) |
| W = Fs | Work done (energy transferred by a force) |
| P = E/t or P = W/t | Power (rate of energy transfer) |
| Efficiency = useful output ÷ total input | Efficiency (as a decimal or percentage) |
Energy and power equations. All provided on the 2026 equation sheet.
Electricity
| Equation | What It Calculates |
|---|---|
| Q = It | Charge (current multiplied by time) |
| V = IR | Voltage, or Ohm’s law |
| P = IV, P = I²R, P = V²/R | Electrical power (three forms) |
| E = Pt, E = QV | Energy transferred in a circuit |
Electricity equations. All provided on the equation sheet.
Forces and Motion
This is the largest group. Forces and motion covers everything from basic speed calculations to momentum and pressure in fluids. Items marked [HT] are Higher Tier only.
| Equation | Notes |
|---|---|
| s = d/t | Speed (distance divided by time) |
| a = (v − u)/t | Acceleration (change in velocity over time) |
| F = ma | Newton’s Second Law |
| W = mg | Weight (mass multiplied by gravitational field strength) |
| F = ke | Hooke’s Law (force on a spring) |
| M = Fd | Moment of a force |
| p = F/A | Pressure (force per unit area) |
| p = mv [HT] | Momentum |
| F = Δ(mv)/t [HT] | Force from change in momentum |
| v² = u² + 2as [HT] | Velocity-displacement equation |
| p = hρg [HT] | Pressure in a column of fluid |
Forces and motion equations. Highlighted rows are Higher Tier only. All are provided on the equation sheet.
Waves, Magnetism, and Particle Model
| Equation | Notes |
|---|---|
| v = fλ | Wave speed (frequency multiplied by wavelength) |
| T = 1/f | Period of a wave |
| ρ = m/V | Density |
| ΔE = mcΔθ | Specific heat capacity (energy for temperature change) |
| E = mL | Specific latent heat (energy for state change) |
| pV = constant [HT] | Gas pressure and volume at constant temperature |
| Magnification = image height ÷ object height [Triple] | Magnification in lenses |
| F = BIl [HT] | Force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field |
| Vs/Vp = ns/np [Triple] | Transformer equation (voltage and turns) |
| VpIp = VsIs [HT, Triple] | Transformer power conservation |
Waves, particle model, and magnetism equations. [HT] = Higher Tier, [Triple] = Triple Science only.
GCSE Chemistry Formulae (No Equation Sheet)
This is the section that matters most for revision planning. There is no equation sheet for chemistry in any exam board. Your child gets a periodic table (with relative atomic masses) and nothing else. Every formula below must be memorised.
During my time working in tutoring, the chemistry formulae were consistently the area where students dropped the most avoidable marks. They would revise physics equations they no longer needed to memorise, while neglecting the GCSE chemistry formulas that absolutely had to be in their head on exam day.
Quantitative Chemistry
| Formula | Notes |
|---|---|
| Relative formula mass (Mr) = sum of Ar values | Add up atomic masses from the periodic table |
| Moles = mass ÷ Mr [HT] | The fundamental moles calculation |
| Conservation of mass: reactant mass = product mass | Total mass does not change in a reaction |
| Concentration (g/dm³) = mass of solute ÷ volume of solution | Concentration in grams per cubic decimetre |
| Concentration (mol/dm³) = moles ÷ volume [HT] | Concentration in moles per cubic decimetre |
| Atom economy = (Mr desired product ÷ sum Mr all products) × 100 [Triple] | Efficiency of a reaction by mass of atoms used |
| Percentage yield = (actual yield ÷ theoretical yield) × 100 [Triple] | How much product was actually obtained |
Chemistry quantitative formulae. Highlighted rows are Higher Tier or Triple only. None are provided in the exam.
Rates and Analysis
| Formula | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Mean rate = quantity of reactant used (or product formed) ÷ time | Speed of a chemical reaction |
| Rf = distance moved by substance ÷ distance moved by solvent | Chromatography retention factor |
Rates of reaction and chromatography formulae. Both must be memorised.
Students spend hours practising physics equations they will be handed on a sheet, while skipping the chemistry formulae they actually need to memorise. If your child has limited revision time, chemistry formulae should come first. The physics sheet handles itself.
GCSE Biology Equations
Biology has far fewer equations than physics or chemistry. The main ones are word equations for key biological processes, plus a single numerical formula for magnification.
| Equation | Process |
|---|---|
| glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water | Aerobic respiration |
| glucose → lactic acid | Anaerobic respiration (animals) |
| glucose → ethanol + carbon dioxide | Anaerobic respiration (yeast/fermentation) |
| carbon dioxide + water → glucose + oxygen | Photosynthesis |
| magnification = size of image ÷ size of real object | Microscopy calculations |
Biology equations. All must be known from memory, but the list is short and the word equations follow logical patterns.
If your child remembers that photosynthesis is the reverse of aerobic respiration, they only need to learn one equation properly and can derive the other. Photosynthesis takes in carbon dioxide and water to produce glucose and oxygen. Respiration does exactly the opposite.
How to Use the Equation Sheet Effectively
Having the physics equation sheet does not mean your child can relax about physics. Examiners' reports consistently note that students who cannot select, rearrange, and substitute correctly lose just as many marks as those who used to forget equations entirely. The sheet solves one problem (recall), but the three skills that actually earn marks remain the student's responsibility.
Identify what you need to find
Read the question and determine the unknown. Is it asking for speed, force, energy, or something else? This tells you which equation to look for on the sheet.
List the values given
Write down every number from the question with its unit. Check units carefully: grams may need converting to kilograms, centimetres to metres, kilojoules to joules, and cubic centimetres to cubic decimetres.
Find the right equation
Scan the sheet for the equation that contains both your unknown and the values you have been given. If you need a quantity that does not appear in any single equation alongside your given values, you probably need a multi-step calculation.
Rearrange before substituting
Make the unknown the subject of the equation first, then put the numbers in. This is cleaner and less error-prone than substituting first and rearranging with numbers.
Calculate and check units
Work through the arithmetic, give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures, and always include the correct unit. Missing units lose marks.
Multi-Step Calculations (Grades 7 to 9)
The 4 to 6 mark questions that separate grade 7 to 9 students from the rest almost always require combining two equations. These questions are where students who have only memorised equations (or rely on the sheet) without understanding them fall short.
In the example above, both equations were on the sheet. The marks came entirely from recognising which two equations to use, linking the output of the first into the second, and carrying the units through correctly. This is exactly the kind of question that separates a grade 6 from a grade 8.
The Most Common Mistakes
Unit Errors
- •Using grams instead of kilograms in KE or momentum
- •Leaving speed in km/h instead of converting to m/s
- •Mixing up cm³ and dm³ in chemistry concentration
- •Forgetting to convert kJ to J for energy calculations
Selection Errors
- •Picking the wrong equation from the sheet
- •Not recognising when two equations are needed
- •Confusing similar equations (P = IV vs P = E/t)
- •Using the wrong version of the power equation
What Parents Can Do Now
The equation landscape is actually simpler to navigate than it looks once you understand the basic rule: physics is provided, chemistry is memorised, biology is minimal. Here is how to turn that into a practical plan.
Check which exam board your child is on
Ask the school or check your child’s textbook. AQA, Edexcel, and OCR all provide physics equation sheets, but the exact equations and format vary slightly. Download the official equation sheet from the exam board’s website.
Prioritise chemistry formula revision
Since chemistry has no equation sheet, this is where memorisation effort should go. Use flashcards for the moles formula, concentration, Rf values, and (for Triple students) atom economy and percentage yield.
Practise past papers with the equation sheet
When your child does physics past papers, give them the official equation sheet just as they would have in the exam. This builds familiarity with the layout and the skill of finding the right equation quickly.
Focus on rearranging and multi-step problems
The equation sheet handles recall. What it cannot do is select the right equation, rearrange it, or link two equations together. These skills need regular practice through past paper questions.
For more on each science subject, see our GCSE biology topics guide and our guide on whether GCSE science is actually hard. If your child is deciding between Combined and Triple Science, our Combined vs Triple comparison explains exactly how the equation lists differ between the two routes. And for the maths formula sheet (which follows similar rules), see our GCSE maths formula sheet guide.
The students I saw make the biggest gains in science were not the ones who spent weeks memorising equations. They were the ones who understood when to use each equation and could spot the link between two equations in a multi-step question. With the equation sheet now handling physics recall, that skill matters more than ever.
