Universal Formulas Index

Traditional and universal forms of the core equations of mechanics, electromagnetism, and quantum physics, shown side by side.

At a glance
Every formula in physics can be expressed in two equivalent ways: the traditional SI form, which carries dimensional constants like $G$, $\hbar$, $c$, and $\varepsilon_0$ explicitly; and the universal form, in which those constants are absorbed into Planck units and the remaining numerical content appears as dimensionless ratios. The two forms are mathematically identical. The universal form makes the structural content more visible: which factors set the scale, which carry dimensionless information, and how different formulas share common building blocks.

In SI units, the law of gravitation reads $F = G\, m_1 m_2 / r^2$. The constant $G$ carries the dimensions and the numerical scale; the product $m_1 m_2 / r^2$ is a combination of particle properties. In universal form, the same law reads $F = F_{\mathrm{P}}\, (m_1/m_{\mathrm{P}})(m_2/m_{\mathrm{P}})(l_{\mathrm{P}}/r)^2$. The Planck force $F_{\mathrm{P}}$ sets the scale; three dimensionless ratios determine the actual force.

Both expressions give the same numerical answer. The universal form makes the scale dependence transparent: the gravitational force on two Planck masses separated by one Planck length is exactly $F_{\mathrm{P}}$. At any other scale, the force is reduced by the product of three ratios, each of which has a clear geometric meaning.

The tables below collect the traditional and universal forms of the standard formulas across mechanics, electromagnetism, and quantum physics. Planck unit values: $l_{\mathrm{P}} = 1.6163 \times 10^{-35}$ m, $m_{\mathrm{P}} = 2.1764 \times 10^{-8}$ kg, $t_{\mathrm{P}} = 5.3912 \times 10^{-44}$ s, $E_{\mathrm{P}} = 1.9561 \times 10^{9}$ J, $F_{\mathrm{P}} = 1.2103 \times 10^{44}$ N, $q_{\mathrm{P}} = 1.8755 \times 10^{-18}$ C.

Mechanics

QuantityTraditionalUniversal form
Newton’s second law$F = m a$$\dfrac{F}{F_{\mathrm{P}}} = \dfrac{m}{m_{\mathrm{P}}} \cdot \dfrac{a}{a_{\mathrm{P}}}$
Momentum$p = m v$$\dfrac{p}{m_{\mathrm{P}} c} = \dfrac{m}{m_{\mathrm{P}}} \cdot \dfrac{v}{c}$
Kinetic energy (matter)$E_K = \tfrac{1}{2} m v^2$$\dfrac{E_K}{E_{\mathrm{P}}} = \tfrac{1}{2}\,\dfrac{m}{m_{\mathrm{P}}} \cdot \left(\dfrac{v}{c}\right)^{\!2}$
Rest energy$E = m c^2$$\dfrac{E}{E_{\mathrm{P}}} = \dfrac{m}{m_{\mathrm{P}}}$
Newton’s gravitation$F = \dfrac{G m_1 m_2}{r^2}$$\dfrac{F}{F_{\mathrm{P}}} = \dfrac{m_1}{m_{\mathrm{P}}} \cdot \dfrac{m_2}{m_{\mathrm{P}}} \cdot \left(\dfrac{l_{\mathrm{P}}}{r}\right)^{\!2}$
Gravitational potential$U = -\dfrac{G m_1 m_2}{r}$$\dfrac{U}{E_{\mathrm{P}}} = -\dfrac{m_1}{m_{\mathrm{P}}} \cdot \dfrac{m_2}{m_{\mathrm{P}}} \cdot \dfrac{l_{\mathrm{P}}}{r}$
Angular momentum$L = m v r$$\dfrac{L}{\hbar} = \dfrac{m}{m_{\mathrm{P}}} \cdot \dfrac{v}{c} \cdot \dfrac{r}{l_{\mathrm{P}}}$
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Same shape, every line
Every mechanical formula in universal form has the same structure: a Planck-unit scale factor times a product of dimensionless ratios. The ratios encode what is physically varying; the Planck factor sets the fixed scale against which it varies.

Electromagnetism

QuantityTraditionalUniversal form
Coulomb’s law$F = \dfrac{1}{4\pi\varepsilon_0} \dfrac{q_1 q_2}{r^2}$$\dfrac{F}{F_{\mathrm{P}}} = \dfrac{q_1}{q_{\mathrm{P}}} \cdot \dfrac{q_2}{q_{\mathrm{P}}} \cdot \left(\dfrac{l_{\mathrm{P}}}{r}\right)^{\!2}$
Coulomb potential$V = \dfrac{q}{4\pi\varepsilon_0 r}$$\dfrac{V}{V_{\mathrm{P}}} = \dfrac{q}{q_{\mathrm{P}}} \cdot \dfrac{l_{\mathrm{P}}}{r}$
Electrostatic energy$U = \dfrac{q_1 q_2}{4\pi\varepsilon_0 r}$$\dfrac{U}{E_{\mathrm{P}}} = \dfrac{q_1}{q_{\mathrm{P}}} \cdot \dfrac{q_2}{q_{\mathrm{P}}} \cdot \dfrac{l_{\mathrm{P}}}{r}$
Ohm’s law$V = I R$$\dfrac{V}{V_{\mathrm{P}}} = \dfrac{I}{I_{\mathrm{P}}} \cdot \dfrac{R}{Z_{\mathrm{P}}}$
Lorentz force$\vec{F} = q(\vec{E} + \vec{v} \times \vec{B})$$\dfrac{F}{F_{\mathrm{P}}} = \dfrac{q}{q_{\mathrm{P}}}\left(\dfrac{E}{E^{\mathrm{field}}_{\mathrm{P}}} + \dfrac{v}{c} \cdot \dfrac{B}{B_{\mathrm{P}}}\right)$
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Gravity and electromagnetism, side by side
Newton’s law and Coulomb’s law have identical universal-form structure — both are $F_{\mathrm{P}}$ times the product of two charge-like ratios and a length ratio squared. The distinction between gravitational charge ($m/m_{\mathrm{P}}$) and electric charge ($q/q_{\mathrm{P}}$) is reduced to the substitution of one ratio for another.

Quantum physics

QuantityTraditionalUniversal form
Photon energy$E = h\nu = \dfrac{hc}{\lambda}$$\dfrac{E}{E_{\mathrm{P}}} = \dfrac{l_{\mathrm{P}}}{\bar{\lambda}}$
de Broglie wavelength$\lambda = \dfrac{h}{p}$$\dfrac{\bar{\lambda}}{l_{\mathrm{P}}} = \dfrac{m_{\mathrm{P}} c}{p}$
Compton wavelength$\bar{\lambda}_{\mathrm{C}} = \dfrac{\hbar}{m c}$$\dfrac{\bar{\lambda}_{\mathrm{C}}}{l_{\mathrm{P}}} = \dfrac{m_{\mathrm{P}}}{m}$
Uncertainty principle$\Delta x \cdot \Delta p \ge \dfrac{\hbar}{2}$$\dfrac{\Delta x}{l_{\mathrm{P}}} \cdot \dfrac{\Delta p}{m_{\mathrm{P}} c} \ge \tfrac{1}{2}$
Hydrogen energy levels$E_n = -\dfrac{\alpha^2 m_e c^2}{2 n^2}$$\dfrac{E_n}{E_{\mathrm{P}}} = -\dfrac{\alpha^2}{2 n^2} \cdot \dfrac{m_e}{m_{\mathrm{P}}}$
Black-body peak (Wien)$h\nu_{\mathrm{peak}} \approx 2.82\, k_{\mathrm{B}} T$$\dfrac{h\nu_{\mathrm{peak}}}{E_{\mathrm{P}}} \approx 2.82 \cdot \dfrac{k_{\mathrm{B}} T}{E_{\mathrm{P}}}$
Stefan–Boltzmann$j = \sigma T^4$$\dfrac{j}{P_{\mathrm{P}}/l_{\mathrm{P}}^2} = \dfrac{\pi^2}{60} \left(\dfrac{k_{\mathrm{B}} T}{E_{\mathrm{P}}}\right)^{\!4}$
Numerical verification — hydrogen ground state
Universal ratio $E_1/E_{\mathrm{P}}$$-(\alpha^2/2)(m_e/m_{\mathrm{P}}) = -(7.297 \times 10^{-3})^2/2 \times 4.185 \times 10^{-23}$$-1.114 \times 10^{-27}$
$\times\, E_{\mathrm{P}}$$-1.114 \times 10^{-27} \times 1.956 \times 10^{9}\;\mathrm{J}$$-2.180 \times 10^{-18}$ J $= -13.61$ eV

Recurring structural patterns

Several patterns recur across the tables above.

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Factorized scale
Every physical quantity $Q$ can be written as $Q = Q_{\mathrm{P}} \cdot f(\text{dimensionless ratios})$. The Planck unit $Q_{\mathrm{P}}$ carries all dimensions; $f$ is a pure number built from ratios.
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Inverse-square law pattern
Both gravity and electromagnetism have the form $F/F_{\mathrm{P}} = (\text{charge ratio})^2 \cdot (l_{\mathrm{P}}/r)^2$. The $(l_{\mathrm{P}}/r)^2$ factor is purely geometric; the charge ratio distinguishes the two interactions.
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Mass as inverse wavelength
$m/m_{\mathrm{P}} = l_{\mathrm{P}}/\bar{\lambda}_{\mathrm{C}}$. This single identity connects the Compton wavelength, the de Broglie wavelength, and the photon energy–wavelength relation.
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Atomic quantities scale as $\alpha^2 (m_e/m_{\mathrm{P}})$
The Hartree, Rydberg, and hydrogen binding energies are all proportional to this combination. The factor $\alpha^2$ reflects the Coulomb coupling squared; the factor $m_e/m_{\mathrm{P}}$ reflects the electron’s position on the mass scale.

The side-by-side comparison makes the two observations compatible with each other. The traditional form is efficient for calculation in a chosen unit system; the universal form makes the structural content — which ratios scale which way — visible at a glance.

Why so few distinct ratios?
The Buckingham-$\pi$ theorem guarantees that any physical relation involving $n$ variables with $k$ independent dimensions can be written in terms of $n – k$ dimensionless combinations. With four independent base dimensions (length, mass, time, charge) and the Planck units as reference scales, classical mechanics, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics share a small common vocabulary of ratios. The recurrence of the same handful of ratios across otherwise unrelated formulas reflects that dimensional economy.