Science · Maths
Formula application: four steps and practice
Set out a science calculation in four steps: write the formula, substitute values with units, calculate and give an answer with its unit. Worked examples, a formula triangle and practice questions cover speed, force, energy, power and density.
Follow the worked formula steps. Keep each quantity and its unit together as you calculate.
Read the complete materialRead the material
Set out a science calculation in four steps: write the formula, substitute values with units, calculate and give an answer with its unit. Worked examples, a formula triangle and practice questions cover speed, force, energy, power and density.
Complete resource. Use the preview for diagrams and layout.
Page 1
SCIENCE AND MATHS AGES 11 TO 14 CALCULATIONS FORMULA APPLICATION Four steps make every calculation clear. NAME CLASS DATE LEARNING GOAL Use a formula to solve a science problem in four steps, with the right unit every time. SUCCESS CRITERIA I can follow the four steps in order. I can use a formula triangle. I can put a unit on every quantity. E N T R Y 1 The four steps Read the models STEP 1 Write the formula STEP 2 Put the numbers in, with units STEP 3 Calculate STEP 4 Write the answer and unit M O D E L 1 Speed: d = 120 m, t = 8 s. Find v. M O D E L 2 Force: m = 3 kg, a = 4 m/s2. Find F. v = d ÷ t v = 120 m ÷ 8 s 120 ÷ 8 = 15 v = m/s 15 F = m × a F = 3 kg × 4 m/s2 3 × 4 = 12 F = N 12 E N T R Y 2 The formula triangle Cover the one you want d v t Cover the one you want to find in the formula triangle. What you can still see is the sum: side by side means multiply, one over the other means divide. Try it. Cover each letter and write what is left. Cover d d = Cover v v = Cover t t = E N T R Y 3 Units key Keep it beside you m metre distance s second time m/s metres per second speed kg kilogram mass N newton force J joule energy V volt voltage A ampere current W watt power g/cm3 grams per cubic centimetre density Formula application and calculation Page 1 of 2
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SCIENCE AND MATHS AGES 11 TO 14 PRACTICE YOUR TURN NAME CLASS DATE Formula bank v = d ÷ t F = m × a E = m × g × h P = V × I density = mass ÷ volume E N T R Y 1 Practice Four steps each time Q 1 Speed: d = 240 m, t = 12 s. Find v. Q 2 Force: m = 5 kg, a = 4 m/s2. Find F. Q 3 Gravitational potential energy: m = 3 kg, g = 10 N/kg, h = 5 m. Find E. Q 4 Power: V = 12 V, I = 2 A. Find P. Q 5 Time: d = 90 m, v = 6 m/s. Find t. Rearrange v = d ÷ t. Q 6 Mass: F = 30 N, a = 5 m/s2. Find m. Rearrange F = m × a. FORMULA NUMBERS, UNITS CALCULATE ANSWER, UNIT FORMULA NUMBERS, UNITS CALCULATE ANSWER, UNIT FORMULA NUMBERS, UNITS CALCULATE ANSWER, UNIT FORMULA NUMBERS, UNITS CALCULATE ANSWER, UNIT FORMULA NUMBERS, UNITS CALCULATE ANSWER, UNIT FORMULA NUMBERS, UNITS CALCULATE ANSWER, UNIT G O 2 Go further Challenge Q 7 Density: mass = 54 g, volume = 20 cm3. Find the density. Q 8 Distance: v = 6 m/s, t = 50 s. Find d. Use the formula triangle. FORMULA NUMBERS, UNITS CALCULATE ANSWER, UNIT FORMULA NUMBERS, UNITS CALCULATE ANSWER, UNIT Formula application and calculation Page 2 of 2
A teaching sequence
Select or rearrange a formula, substitute values with units, calculate and state a complete answer.
Follow the worked formula steps. Keep each quantity and its unit together as you calculate.
Read the complete materialChoose formula and quantities
Write the formula and match each value and unit to its quantity before substituting. For the printed examples, use distance divided by time for speed and mass multiplied by acceleration for force.
Does each value match the quantity named in the formula?
Rearrange and calculate
Calculate and show the operation. If the question asks for a different quantity, rearrange the relationship carefully before substituting.
Which operation isolates the quantity the question asks for?
Use a suitable unit
Write the answer and a suitable unit. Use the formula triangle for the speed relationship, then practise six questions and two extension questions.
Does your unit describe the quantity you calculated?
Check the relationship
Compare layout and units with the worked examples, including one rearranged formula. Ask the teacher to review a rearrangement that remains uncertain.
Does substituting back recover the original relationship?
Before you teach
Look for the thinking behind an answer, choose the support your class needs and leave room for an independent response.
What to look for
Check that the formula matches the quantity asked for, substitutions include units, arithmetic is correct and the final unit is appropriate. For rearranged questions, verify the new relationship by substituting it back into the original formula. A formula triangle is a memory aid, not a substitute for understanding the quantities.
Give a little support
Use one worked example at a time and ask pupils to say the formula aloud before substituting values. Provide a calculator or multiplication table if appropriate. Keep a separate list of units visible, and use a diagram to identify each quantity in a word problem.
Take the idea further
Ask pupils to derive a rearranged formula algebraically and explain when the formula triangle is useful or limited. They can create a problem with units, swap with a partner and check the result by substituting it back into the original equation.
Things to keep in mind
The sheet covers a small set of formulae and units. Symbols, rounding and required working can vary by course. Formula triangles are suitable only for some relationships; check course guidance and teach rearrangement explicitly when needed.
Keep the idea. Make it yours.
Bring your topic, learning goal and class context to PLAI™, then review what you create.
Ideas to try with your class
Sample teaching perspectives on what to try, what to adapt and what to watch for.
Meet The Creators
Meet the creators whose teaching interests connect with this template. Find an approach to try with your class.
Hollie Braithwaite
Revision is more useful when it responds to a specific gap pupils have shown, rather than covering a broad topic simply because it appears in a generic pack.
Meet the creator
Dr Anjali Menon
I coordinate Science practicals with the lead technician, linking activity-specific preparation and review with shared laboratory time so the department can notice and respond to gaps early.
Meet the creator
Little Lightbulbs
The two-page sheet models four steps (write formula, substitute values with units, calculate, answer with unit) using speed and force before practice with further formulas. Its triangle is a rearrangement aid, not a substitute for units.
Bright Idea Break
The examples connect distance, time, mass and acceleration to m/s and newtons, then offer practice in GPE, electrical power and density. The units key stays beside the work to support checking at each step.
One Last Sticky Note
Complete the worked speed example before using the formula triangle to derive each rearrangement. Pupils can annotate the units first, which helps reveal whether a chosen formula matches the quantities in the question.
Storytime Sidekick
A correct numerical result without a suitable unit is incomplete, and the triangle only applies to its displayed relationships. Check each equation against the taught topic and verify the physical meaning of the answer.