How to Memorise the OAT Physics Formula Sheet Without Hating Your Life

Why Physics is different

Every other section rewards understanding. Physics rewards understanding plus instant recall of about thirty equations, under time pressure, without a calculator. Students who understand the physics perfectly still lose points because they spend ninety seconds reconstructing the thin lens equation.

Recall is a separate skill from comprehension, and it needs to be trained separately.

Group the equations by what they conserve

Do not memorise a list. Memorise five clusters:

1. Kinematics — five equations, all derivable from two. Learn v = v₀ + at and Δx = v₀t + ½at², derive the rest.
2. Force and energy — F = ma, W = Fd cos θ, KE = ½mv², PE = mgh, P = W/t. Everything mechanical is one of these.
3. Fluids and gases — ρ = m/V, P = ρgh, buoyancy, continuity, Bernoulli, PV = nRT.
4. Waves and optics — v = fλ, Snell, thin lens, magnification. Four equations cover almost every optics question the OAT asks.
5. Circuits — V = IR, the three power forms, series and parallel. Small cluster, high frequency.

The retrieval schedule

Active recall beats rereading by a wide margin, and spaced beats massed. A schedule that works:

• Day 1: write out all thirty from memory. You will get eight. That is fine — the failure is the point.
• Days 2–7: five minutes daily, blank sheet, write everything you can. Check, fill gaps, close the book.
• Weeks 2–4: three times a week, same drill, plus five practice problems that force you to apply the ones you keep missing.
• From week 5: once a week, and only the cluster you're weakest on.

Twenty minutes a week after the first fortnight is enough to hold thirty equations indefinitely.

Test the unit, not the symbol

If you can state what each variable's unit is, you can usually reconstruct the equation. Power is watts = joules per second, so P = W/t falls out. Pressure is force per area, so P = ρgh follows from mass × g over area. Dimensional reasoning is a backup you can use at minute 47 when recall fails.