Physics is often considered one of the more challenging subjects on the MCAT. Many students find Physics difficult because it involves calculations, equations, and, most importantly, knowing how to apply those equations to different situations.

To help you studying for physics, these are the high yields topics suggested by Aj. Karan, our physics teacher at Learning Hub.

To help you focus your MCAT preparation, Aj. Karan, our Physics teacher at Learning Hub, shares the high-yield MCAT Physics topics that students should prioritize.

1. Mechanics: Forces, Motion and Energy

Mechanics is one of the most important areas of Physics to understand for the MCAT.

Questions involving kinetic energy, potential energy, work and power appear frequently. Forces and motion are also fundamental concepts that can be applied to questions from several other Physics topics, so this is an area you should not leave out of your preparation.

Rather than simply memorizing equations, make sure you understand the relationships between force, motion, work and energy and can recognize when to apply them.

2. Waves: Doppler Effect, Sound, Light and Lenses

Waves are another important area to review.

High-yield concepts include the Doppler effect, sound intensity, light and lenses, and interference. Make sure you understand the basic principles behind these phenomena as well as how changes in variables affect the behaviour of waves.

3. Electricity, Charges and Circuits

Electricity is another topic worth prioritizing for the MCAT.

Students should be comfortable with electric charge, attraction and repulsion, circuits and resistance calculations. A solid understanding of the basic behaviour of charges will also make more complicated electricity questions easier to approach.

4. Nuclear Physics: Half-Lives and Radioactive Decay

For nuclear physics, pay particular attention to half-life and radioactive decay.

You should understand what half-life represents and be able to determine how much of a radioactive substance remains after a given number of half-lives.

5. Fluids

Fluids may not appear as frequently as some of the topics above, but they can still show up on the MCAT.

Make sure you have a working understanding of the major fluid concepts so that you are prepared if they appear in a passage or question.

6. Thermodynamics

Thermodynamics often overlaps with Chemistry on the MCAT, but the underlying Physics is still important.

Understanding concepts involving heat, energy and energy transfer can help you across both Physics and Chemistry questions, making this a useful topic to review even though it may not always appear as a standalone Physics question.

How Should You Study MCAT Physics?

For MCAT Physics, memorizing equations alone is not enough. Focus on understanding what each equation represents, the relationships between variables, and how to recognize which concepts apply to a particular question.

If you are short on study time, start with the highest-yield areas — particularly mechanics, waves, and electricity — before moving on to the remaining topics.

Stay tuned for the next article in our High-Yield MCAT Topics series!

Jane
Learning Hub