Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) Physics:
Complete Study Guide and Full-Length Practice Exam
LATEST UPDATE 2025
viscosity
resistance to flow, denoted by n
wavelength
crest to crest, trough to trough
work-energy theorem
states that the net work performed on an object is related to its change in energy.
,0th law of thermodynamics
two objects that are in thermal equilibrium with a third object are also in thermal equilibrium with each other
binding energy
energy that holds the protons and neutrons together in the nucleus, defined by the equations E=mc2, where m is mass
defect and c is the speed of light in a vacuum
acceleration
vector describing a change in velocity over time
a= change in velocity/time
archimedes principle
a body that is fully or partially immersed in a liquid will be buoyed upwards by a force that is equal to the weight of the
liquid displaced by the body
F(buoy) = density(fluid)volume(submerged)gravity
electric potential
the amount of electric potential energy per unit charge; the work required to bring a positive test charge from infinity to
within an electric field of another positive source charge, Q, divided by that test charge's magnitude.
V = kQ/r
translational equilibrium
no net movement
,total internal reflection
the condition in which the incident angle of light traveling from a medium with a high n to a medium with a low n is
greater than the critical angle theta. This results in all of the light being reflected and none of it being refracted.
For mirrors, are the images in front of a concave mirror converging/diverging? real/virtual? for concave, if the object is
placed at the focal point?
are the images in front of a convex mirror real or virtual?
concave = real, converging, light converges in front of mirror, parallel rays converge at the focal point, if the object is
within the focal point, it's a virtual image. IF object at the focal point, then there is no image concave mirror with a
positive focal length,
convex = light is virtual and appears in front while a diverging mirror is convex mirror with a negative focal length.
Diverging mirrors always produce virtual images
snell's law
n1sin1 = n2sin2
second law of thermodynamics
for any process, the entropy of the universe either increases (for irreversible processes) or remains constant (for
reversible processes)
scalar
magnitude but no direction
resistivity
property of a conductor used to measure its resistance in the equation
, r = resistivity*length/area
r=resistance
area=cross-sectional area
potential difference
the difference in the electrical potential between two points in a an electric field, also called voltage
plane mirrow
produces virtual image that appears to be the same distance behind the mirror as the object is in front of the mirror
normal force
perpendicular component of the force caused when two surfaces push against each other, denoted by N
nonconservative force
force that dissipates
Newton's third law
action and reaction
Newton's second law
f = ma
mass
measure object's inertia
Complete Study Guide and Full-Length Practice Exam
LATEST UPDATE 2025
viscosity
resistance to flow, denoted by n
wavelength
crest to crest, trough to trough
work-energy theorem
states that the net work performed on an object is related to its change in energy.
,0th law of thermodynamics
two objects that are in thermal equilibrium with a third object are also in thermal equilibrium with each other
binding energy
energy that holds the protons and neutrons together in the nucleus, defined by the equations E=mc2, where m is mass
defect and c is the speed of light in a vacuum
acceleration
vector describing a change in velocity over time
a= change in velocity/time
archimedes principle
a body that is fully or partially immersed in a liquid will be buoyed upwards by a force that is equal to the weight of the
liquid displaced by the body
F(buoy) = density(fluid)volume(submerged)gravity
electric potential
the amount of electric potential energy per unit charge; the work required to bring a positive test charge from infinity to
within an electric field of another positive source charge, Q, divided by that test charge's magnitude.
V = kQ/r
translational equilibrium
no net movement
,total internal reflection
the condition in which the incident angle of light traveling from a medium with a high n to a medium with a low n is
greater than the critical angle theta. This results in all of the light being reflected and none of it being refracted.
For mirrors, are the images in front of a concave mirror converging/diverging? real/virtual? for concave, if the object is
placed at the focal point?
are the images in front of a convex mirror real or virtual?
concave = real, converging, light converges in front of mirror, parallel rays converge at the focal point, if the object is
within the focal point, it's a virtual image. IF object at the focal point, then there is no image concave mirror with a
positive focal length,
convex = light is virtual and appears in front while a diverging mirror is convex mirror with a negative focal length.
Diverging mirrors always produce virtual images
snell's law
n1sin1 = n2sin2
second law of thermodynamics
for any process, the entropy of the universe either increases (for irreversible processes) or remains constant (for
reversible processes)
scalar
magnitude but no direction
resistivity
property of a conductor used to measure its resistance in the equation
, r = resistivity*length/area
r=resistance
area=cross-sectional area
potential difference
the difference in the electrical potential between two points in a an electric field, also called voltage
plane mirrow
produces virtual image that appears to be the same distance behind the mirror as the object is in front of the mirror
normal force
perpendicular component of the force caused when two surfaces push against each other, denoted by N
nonconservative force
force that dissipates
Newton's third law
action and reaction
Newton's second law
f = ma
mass
measure object's inertia
