MCAT PHYSICS NOTES | HIGH-YIELD REVIEW
MCAT Physics Notes
High-Yield Review • Strategy • Equations • Practice Thinking
The efficient way to turn physics passages into points.
What this guide delivers
A compact, exam-focused review of the physics principles most likely to appear in MCAT-style passages. Each section
emphasizes units, relationships, graphs, proportional reasoning, and biological applications.
Inside this guide
• Core mechanics, fluids, waves, electricity, optics, thermodynamics, and atomic physics
• High-yield equations with variable definitions
• Passage-reading and graph-analysis methods
• Common traps and efficient estimation strategies
• Biology and medicine connections for integrated questions
• A final rapid-review checklist and study plan
Use this guide with timed passages—not as a substitute for practice.
Prepared for educational use • Practice actively • Verify current AAMC policies
, MCAT PHYSICS NOTES | HIGH-YIELD REVIEW
How to Use These Notes
MCAT physics rewards reasoning more than memorization. The exam often gives you enough information to derive or
estimate the answer if you recognize the governing relationship.
The five-step passage method
1. Identify the system: particle, object, fluid, circuit, wave, or optical setup.
2. List what is known and what is being asked. Include units.
3. Choose the principle before choosing an equation: Newton’s laws, conservation of energy, Ohm’s law, and so on.
4. Predict the direction or trend before calculating.
5. Check units, sign, magnitude, and answer choice plausibility.
Units that matter
Concept MCAT Application
Force newton (N) = kg·m/s²
Energy / work joule (J) = N·m
Power watt (W) = J/s
Pressure pascal (Pa) = N/m²
Charge coulomb (C)
Potential difference volt (V) = J/C
Resistance ohm (Ω) = V/A
Frequency hertz (Hz) = s⁻¹
Sales-friendly value proposition
Students do not need another equation dump. They need a framework that converts dense passages into manageable
relationships. This guide is designed for fast review and repeat use.
Prepared for educational use • Practice actively • Verify current AAMC policies
, MCAT PHYSICS NOTES | HIGH-YIELD REVIEW
1. Units, Vectors, and Scientific Notation
Scalars versus vectors
• Scalar: magnitude only—mass, temperature, energy, speed, time.
• Vector: magnitude plus direction—displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, momentum.
• Distance is scalar; displacement is vector.
• Speed is scalar; velocity is vector.
Scientific notation and prefixes
Concept MCAT Application
kilo (k) 10³
centi (c) 10⁻²
milli (m) 10⁻³
micro (μ) 10⁻⁶
nano (n) 10⁻⁹
mega (M) 10⁶
Dimensional analysis
Dimensional analysis can identify an incorrect equation even when the algebra looks reasonable. Every term added or
equated must have compatible units.
velocity = distance / time = m/s
force = mass × acceleration = kg·m/s²
energy = force × distance = kg·m²/s²
Vector components
Aₓ = A cos θ Aᵧ = A sin θ
For perpendicular components, the magnitude is A = √(Aₓ² + Aᵧ²). Be careful about the angle’s reference axis.
Common trap
Do not add vector magnitudes without considering direction. Opposing forces can cancel even when each individual force is
large.
Prepared for educational use • Practice actively • Verify current AAMC policies
MCAT Physics Notes
High-Yield Review • Strategy • Equations • Practice Thinking
The efficient way to turn physics passages into points.
What this guide delivers
A compact, exam-focused review of the physics principles most likely to appear in MCAT-style passages. Each section
emphasizes units, relationships, graphs, proportional reasoning, and biological applications.
Inside this guide
• Core mechanics, fluids, waves, electricity, optics, thermodynamics, and atomic physics
• High-yield equations with variable definitions
• Passage-reading and graph-analysis methods
• Common traps and efficient estimation strategies
• Biology and medicine connections for integrated questions
• A final rapid-review checklist and study plan
Use this guide with timed passages—not as a substitute for practice.
Prepared for educational use • Practice actively • Verify current AAMC policies
, MCAT PHYSICS NOTES | HIGH-YIELD REVIEW
How to Use These Notes
MCAT physics rewards reasoning more than memorization. The exam often gives you enough information to derive or
estimate the answer if you recognize the governing relationship.
The five-step passage method
1. Identify the system: particle, object, fluid, circuit, wave, or optical setup.
2. List what is known and what is being asked. Include units.
3. Choose the principle before choosing an equation: Newton’s laws, conservation of energy, Ohm’s law, and so on.
4. Predict the direction or trend before calculating.
5. Check units, sign, magnitude, and answer choice plausibility.
Units that matter
Concept MCAT Application
Force newton (N) = kg·m/s²
Energy / work joule (J) = N·m
Power watt (W) = J/s
Pressure pascal (Pa) = N/m²
Charge coulomb (C)
Potential difference volt (V) = J/C
Resistance ohm (Ω) = V/A
Frequency hertz (Hz) = s⁻¹
Sales-friendly value proposition
Students do not need another equation dump. They need a framework that converts dense passages into manageable
relationships. This guide is designed for fast review and repeat use.
Prepared for educational use • Practice actively • Verify current AAMC policies
, MCAT PHYSICS NOTES | HIGH-YIELD REVIEW
1. Units, Vectors, and Scientific Notation
Scalars versus vectors
• Scalar: magnitude only—mass, temperature, energy, speed, time.
• Vector: magnitude plus direction—displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, momentum.
• Distance is scalar; displacement is vector.
• Speed is scalar; velocity is vector.
Scientific notation and prefixes
Concept MCAT Application
kilo (k) 10³
centi (c) 10⁻²
milli (m) 10⁻³
micro (μ) 10⁻⁶
nano (n) 10⁻⁹
mega (M) 10⁶
Dimensional analysis
Dimensional analysis can identify an incorrect equation even when the algebra looks reasonable. Every term added or
equated must have compatible units.
velocity = distance / time = m/s
force = mass × acceleration = kg·m/s²
energy = force × distance = kg·m²/s²
Vector components
Aₓ = A cos θ Aᵧ = A sin θ
For perpendicular components, the magnitude is A = √(Aₓ² + Aᵧ²). Be careful about the angle’s reference axis.
Common trap
Do not add vector magnitudes without considering direction. Opposing forces can cancel even when each individual force is
large.
Prepared for educational use • Practice actively • Verify current AAMC policies
