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Physics questions appear mostly in the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section (Chem/Phys), which is the first section of the MCAT. The Chem/Phys section gives you 95 minutes to answer 59 questions. Expect roughly 15 questions that are primarily physics-based, with additional questions where physics knowledge helps you interpret a passage or eliminate wrong answers.
The section uses two question formats:
Passage-based questions are tied to a passage that describes an experiment, a medical scenario, or a physical system. The questions ask you to apply scientific knowledge and reasoning to that specific context. Discrete questions stand alone with no passage and test a single concept or calculation directly.
Start studying for MCAT physics questions with these nine topics.
Every MCAT physics problem starts with units. Convert between metric prefixes, track units through multi-step calculations, and use dimensional analysis to verify your answer makes sense. When you're unsure about a formula during the exam, checking whether the units work out can eliminate wrong answer choices fast.
You won't have a calculator on test day. Practice manipulating numbers in scientific notation by multiplying, dividing, and estimating square roots. Logarithms show up frequently in decibel calculations and pH problems. Know that a base-10 log increase of 1 means a tenfold jump in the actual value.
Memorize sine, cosine, and tangent values for:
You'll use these constantly in projectile motion, force decomposition, and optics. Understand the difference between scalar and vector quantities, and practice breaking vectors into components and adding them graphically and algebraically.
The MCAT tests whether you understand relationships more than whether you can compute exact numbers. Know what happens to pressure when you halve the volume. Recognize direct, inverse, and squared relationships on sight. Read slopes as rates of change and areas under curves as accumulated quantities.
The Zeroth Law establishes thermal equilibrium as the basis for temperature measurement. The First Law connects heat, work, and internal energy (ΔU = Q − W). The Second Law dictates that entropy in an isolated system always increases. Focus on applying the First Law to specific processes, because the MCAT will present scenarios and expect you to track energy flow, not just recite definitions.
Conduction, convection, and radiation each move thermal energy differently. Know which dominates in solids, fluids, versus vacuum. For calorimetry, use q = mcΔT to calculate heat transfer between substances, and remember that the heat lost by one object equals the heat gained by the other in an isolated system. Phase changes add a layer: Latent heat (q = mL) is released when the temperature remains constant during melting or boiling.
PV diagrams are the MCAT's favorite way to test thermodynamics visually. Identify these processes by their curve shapes:
The area under a PV curve represents work done by or on a gas. Practice reading these diagrams quickly because they appear in both discrete questions and passage-based sets.
Entropy measures molecular disorder. A process is spontaneous when the total entropy of the system plus surroundings increases. Connect entropy to Gibbs free energy (ΔG = ΔH − TΔS) for a more complete picture of spontaneity. The MCAT bridges physics and biochemistry here, so expect entropy questions that span disciplines.
Displacement is direction-dependent; distance is not. Velocity tracks the rate of displacement change, while acceleration tracks how velocity changes over time. The MCAT frequently tests whether you can distinguish between these quantities in word problems. Pay attention to sign conventions because a negative acceleration doesn't always mean slowing down.
Five variables (displacement (Δx), initial velocity (v₀), final velocity (v), acceleration (a), and time (t)) connect through four core equations:
Each equation excludes one variable. Identify which variable the problem doesn't give you and doesn't ask for, then pick the equation that leaves it out. Practice solving without a calculator by choosing clean numbers and estimating. Kinematic problems should be some of your fastest solves on test day.
Projectile motion splits into independent horizontal and vertical components. Horizontal velocity stays constant (no air resistance on the MCAT). Vertical motion follows free-fall kinematics with g ≈ 10 m/s². The launch angle determines the trade-off between range and height. Remember that objects launched at complementary angles (like 30° and 60°) land at the same distance.
Position-time, velocity-time, and acceleration-time graphs all have different information. The slope of a position-time graph gives velocity. The slope of a velocity-time graph gives acceleration. The area under a velocity-time graph gives displacement. The MCAT presents data graphically and asks you to extract quantities that the graph doesn't show directly.
The MCAT tests whether you can apply these laws to real scenarios like elevators, collisions, and connected objects, not just restate them.
Static friction (f_s ≤ μ_s × N) prevents motion; kinetic friction (f_k = μ_k × N) opposes motion already happening.
On inclined planes, decompose gravity into components parallel (mg sinθ) and perpendicular (mg cosθ) to the surface. Pulleys redirect force and can provide a mechanical advantage. In an ideal pulley system, the tension remains constant along the entire length of the rope.
Draw free-body diagrams for every force problem. Skipping that step is the single most common source of errors.
Uniform circular motion requires a centripetal force directed toward the center: F_c = mv²/r. That force could be tension, gravity, friction, or a normal force, depending on the scenario.
Torque (τ = rF sinθ) measures a force's ability to cause rotation around a pivot point. An object in rotational equilibrium has zero net torque.
Work equals force times displacement in the direction of force: W = Fd cosθ. Kinetic energy (KE = ½mv²) relates to motion. Gravitational potential energy (PE = mgh) relates to height.
The work-energy theorem states that net work on an object equals its change in kinetic energy. Conservation of energy means that the total mechanical energy remains constant when only conservative forces (gravity, springs) act. Power (P = W/t = Fv) measures how quickly energy transfers.
Momentum (p = mv) is conserved in all collisions when no external forces act. Impulse (J = FΔt = Δp) connects force and time to momentum change. A longer collision time means less force, which is why airbags work.
In elastic collisions, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. In inelastic collisions, momentum is conserved, but kinetic energy is not. Perfectly inelastic collisions (where objects stick together) lose the maximum kinetic energy.
Hooke's Law (F = −kx) describes the restoring force of a spring, where k is the spring constant, and x is the displacement from equilibrium. The elastic potential energy stored in a spring is PE = ½kx².
A mass on a spring undergoes simple harmonic motion with period T = 2π√(m/k). A simple pendulum swings with period T = 2π√(L/g). Both systems oscillate around an equilibrium point where the velocity is maximum, and the displacement is zero.
Density (ρ = m/V) determines whether an object floats or sinks. Specific gravity compares a substance's density to water (1000 kg/m³). A specific gravity of 0.8 means the substance is 80% as dense as water.
Pressure (P = F/A) measures force per unit area. Hydrostatic pressure increases with depth: P = P₀ + ρgh. Gauge pressure excludes atmospheric pressure, while absolute pressure includes it.
Pascal's Law states that pressure applied to an enclosed fluid transmits equally in all directions. Hydraulic lifts use this principle — a small force on a small piston creates a large force on a large piston (F₁/A₁ = F₂/A₂).
Archimedes' Principle says the buoyant force on a submerged object equals the weight of fluid displaced (F_b = ρ_fluid × V_displaced × g). An object floats when its average density is less than the fluid's density.
The continuity equation (A₁v₁ = A₂v₂) means fluid speeds up when it flows through a narrower cross-section. Bernoulli's equation (P + ½ρv² + ρgh = constant) connects pressure, velocity, and height along a streamline.
Where fluid moves faster, pressure drops. That's why airplane wings generate lift and why aneurysms are dangerous. Apply Bernoulli's equation only to ideal (incompressible, non-viscous, laminar) flow.
Real fluids resist flow due to viscosity. Poiseuille's Law (Q = πr⁴ΔP / 8ηL) shows that the flow rate depends dramatically on the tube radius; doubling the radius increases the flow rate by a factor of 16.
Blood flow through narrowed arteries is a common MCAT application. Surface tension arises because molecules at a liquid's surface experience a net inward force. Capillary action results from the competition between adhesive forces (liquid-to-wall) and cohesive forces (liquid-to-liquid).
Coulomb's Law (F = kq₁q₂/r²) calculates the force between two point charges, where k ≈ 9 × 10⁹ N·m²/C². As charges repel, opposite charges attract.
The electric field (E = F/q = kQ/r²) describes the force per unit positive test charge. Field lines point away from positive charges and toward negative charges. Inside a parallel plate capacitor, the electric field is uniform: E = V/d.
Electric potential (V = kQ/r) scales with no direction to track. Potential difference (voltage) drives current through circuits.
The work done moving a charge through a potential difference is W = qΔV. Capacitors store charge (Q = CV) and energy (U = ½CV²).
Adding a dielectric between the plates increases capacitance by reducing the electric field. Capacitors in parallel add directly (C_total = C₁ + C₂); capacitors in series add as reciprocals (1/C_total = 1/C₁ + 1/C₂).
Ohm's Law (V = IR) links voltage, current, and resistance. Resistors in series add directly (R_total = R₁ + R₂). Resistors in parallel add as reciprocals (1/R_total = 1/R₁ + 1/R₂).
Kirchhoff's Junction Rule states that the current in equals the current out at any node. Kirchhoff's Loop Rule states that the voltage gain and drop around any closed loop sum to zero. Power dissipated by a resistor can be calculated in three ways: P = IV, P = I²R, or P = V²/R.
A moving charge in a magnetic field experiences a force: F = qvB sinθ. Use the right-hand rule to point your fingers along velocity, curl toward the magnetic field, and your thumb gives the force direction for a positive charge.
A current-carrying wire in a magnetic field feels F = BIL sinθ. Faraday's Law says a changing magnetic flux through a loop induces an EMF (ε = −NΔΦ/Δt). Lenz's Law ensures the induced current opposes the change that created it.
Light travels at c ≈ 3 × 10⁸ m/s in a vacuum. The relationship c = λf connects wavelength and frequency — as one increases, the other decreases.
The electromagnetic spectrum runs from radio waves (longest wavelength, lowest energy) through microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, to gamma rays (shortest wavelength, highest energy).
Photon energy is calculated with E = hf, where h is Planck's constant (6.63 × 10⁻³⁴ J·s).
The law of reflection states that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection, both measured from the normal. Refraction occurs when light changes speed as it enters a new medium.
Snell's Law (n₁ sinθ₁ = n₂ sinθ₂) quantifies the bending. Light bends toward the normal when entering a denser medium (higher index of refraction) and away from the normal when entering a less dense medium. Total internal reflection occurs when light hits the boundary at an angle greater than the critical angle (sinθ_c = n₂/n₁).
Both mirrors and thin lenses follow the same equation: 1/f = 1/d_o + 1/d_i. Magnification is m = −d_i/d_o.
Concave mirrors and converging lenses have positive focal lengths. Convex mirrors and diverging lenses have negative focal lengths.
Use sign conventions consistently: Positive image distance means a real image (formed on the opposite side of a lens or the same side of a mirror); negative means virtual. Practice ray diagrams by drawing at least two principal rays to find the image.
When light passes through a narrow slit, it spreads out (diffraction). Double-slit experiments produce interference patterns:
Thin-film interference arises when light reflects off the top and bottom surfaces of a thin coating. The film's thickness and index of refraction determine whether you see constructive or destructive interference. Polarization restricts light oscillation to a single plane.
Every wave is defined by:
Transverse waves oscillate perpendicular to the direction of travel. Longitudinal waves oscillate parallel to the direction of travel. Sound is longitudinal, with alternating compressions and rarefactions.
The MCAT expects you to classify wave types quickly and apply v = λf without hesitation.
When two waves occupy the same space, their displacements add (superposition). Constructive interference occurs when waves align in phase; destructive interference occurs when they're half a wavelength out of phase.
Standing waves form on strings and in tubes when reflected waves interfere with incoming waves. On a string fixed at both ends, the fundamental frequency has nodes at each end and one antinode in the center. Harmonics follow f_n = nf₁, where n is the harmonic number.
The Doppler effect shifts the observed frequency of a wave when the source or observer moves. When they move toward each other, the observed frequency increases. When they move apart, the observed frequency decreases.
The formula is f' = f × (v ± v_observer) / (v ∓ v_source), where v is the speed of sound. Use the top signs when moving toward and the bottom signs when moving apart.
Sound intensity (I = P/A) is power per unit area, measured in W/m². The decibel scale converts intensity to a logarithmic scale: β = 10 log(I/I₀), where I₀ = 10⁻¹² W/m² is the threshold of hearing.
Every 10 dB increase represents a tenfold increase in intensity. Every doubling of intensity adds approximately 3 dB. The MCAT regularly tests logarithmic relationships, so practice converting between intensity ratios and decibel differences without a calculator.
Electrons occupy discrete energy levels around the nucleus. The Bohr model describes hydrogen-like atoms with quantized orbits where energy is E_n = −13.6/n² eV for hydrogen.
Lower energy levels (closer to the nucleus) are more negative and more stable. Electrons absorb photons to jump to higher levels and emit photons when they drop to lower levels.
The energy of the absorbed or emitted photon exactly equals the difference between the two levels: E_photon = |E_final − E_initial|.
When light hits a metal surface, electrons are ejected only if the photon energy (E = hf) exceeds the metal's work function (φ). The kinetic energy of the ejected electrons is given by KE_max = hf − φ.
Increasing light intensity sends out more electrons but doesn't change their maximum kinetic energy. Increasing frequency increases the maximum kinetic energy.
Below the threshold frequency (f₀ = φ/h), no electrons are ejected regardless of intensity. The photoelectric effect proved that light behaves as discrete packets of energy.
Emission spectra show bright lines at specific wavelengths where electrons drop from higher to lower energy levels. Absorption spectra show dark lines at the same wavelengths where electrons absorb photons and jump to higher energy levels.
Each element produces a different spectral fingerprint. Fluorescence occurs when a substance absorbs high-energy light and re-emits lower-energy (longer wavelength) light. Phosphorescence works similarly but with a delayed reemission due to a forbidden energy transition.
Alpha decay releases a helium nucleus (²₄He), reducing the atomic number by 2 and mass number by 4. Beta-minus decay converts a neutron into a proton, emitting an electron and an antineutrino, increasing the atomic number by 1.
Gamma decay releases a high-energy photon with no change in atomic or mass number. Half-life (t₁/₂) is the time for half of a radioactive sample to decay; after n half-lives, the fraction remaining is (½)ⁿ. Nuclear fission splits heavy nuclei and releases energy. Nuclear fusion combines light nuclei. It powers the sun and releases even more energy per nucleon than fission.
Our 99th percentile tutors can help you earn high MCAT scores. They know how to explain every fundamental MCAT physics question to turn even the toughest concepts into problems you can solve with confidence.
The table below contains 58 MCAT physics equations for you to memorize. 58 equations sounds like a lot until you realize that about a third of them are variations of the same core relationships. Ohm's Law, Coulomb's Law, and the hydrostatic pressure formula all follow the same structural logic. Learn the pattern once, and the variations stick faster.
Start by studying high-yield MCAT topics and keep learning from there. If you can solve kinematics, circuits, and fluids problems without hesitation, you've covered the majority of physics questions.
Memorizing an equation means nothing if you can't identify what each variable represents in a passage. Every formula in the table above defines its variables for a reason.
When you study, practice mapping the letters back to their physical meaning. The MCAT will present a scenario in plain English and ask you to identify which equation applies. It will never just hand you variables and ask you to plug in numbers.
The fastest way to lose time on MCAT physics is doing math on a question that doesn't need it. The majority of MCAT physics questions test whether you know the relationship between variables, the direction of an effect, or the physical principle at play. Students who default to equation-hunting on every physics question waste 30 to 60 seconds setting up math that the question never asked for.
Conceptual questions require you to understand the relationship between variables. Calculation questions require you to identify the right equation, plug in values, and solve.
Before you read the answer choices, determine whether the question asks you to find out what happens or to find out a specific amount.
For example, "What happens to intensity if frequency doubles?" is a conceptual question. Whereas "What is the wavelength of this wave?" is a calculation question.
Conceptual questions use language in the question stem, like:
Calculation questions give you specific numbers and ask for a specific result.
Spot the difference in under five seconds, and you'll eliminate wasted effort on every physics question.
The MCAT rarely asks you to produce an exact numerical answer in physics. Far more often, it asks you what happens when something changes, such as:
These questions are designed to be solved through proportional reasoning. Students who set up complete equations, plug in numbers, and solve are doing three times the work the question requires.
Proportional reasoning means analyzing the structure of an equation to predict how the output changes when an input changes. If pressure is inversely proportional to volume (Boyle's Law), doubling volume cuts pressure in half, so you don't need to calculate the new pressure.
If energy is inversely proportional to wavelength (E = hc/λ), decreasing wavelength increases energy, so you don't need to calculate the new energy value. The equation tells you the relationship, and that's all the question is testing.
Build this habit by practicing equation analysis without numbers. Take any MCAT physics formula, change one variable, and predict the effect on the output. Do this enough times, and proportional reasoning becomes automatic, which means physics questions that look complex become solvable in 30 seconds.
Wave behavior at boundaries is one of the most repeatedly tested physics concepts on the MCAT. Sound waves moving between water and air, light waves passing through thin films, ultrasound waves hitting thermoclines — the specific context changes, but the underlying rule is always the same: Frequency stays constant when a wave crosses from one medium to another, while speed and wavelength adjust according to the properties of the new medium.
Commit this to memory:
If speed increases and frequency stays constant, wavelength must increase. If speed decreases, wavelength decreases. Every MCAT wave-boundary question reduces to this one relationship applied to a specific scenario.
The reason this rule is so powerful is that it eliminates answer choices instantly. Any answer that claims frequency changes when a wave enters a new medium is wrong — regardless of context, regardless of the passage, regardless of how complicated the scenario looks. This removes at least one answer choice on almost every wave question you'll encounter.
When a physics question stumps you, and you can't identify the right equation or principle, push a variable to zero, infinity, or some obvious limiting case and see which answer choices still make sense. Extreme-case reasoning won't always give you the correct answer, but it reliably eliminates one or two choices that break down under limiting conditions. On a four-choice question, cutting the options in half doubles your odds even if you have to guess.
Physics equations have to hold true at their boundaries. If an answer choice claims that intensity doubles when frequency doubles, what happens at zero frequency? What happens at infinite frequency? If the relationship breaks down to the extreme, the answer is wrong.
Build this skill by practicing it on questions you can already solve. After you've found the correct answer through normal reasoning, go back and check whether extreme-case reasoning would have eliminated the wrong choices.
Over time, you'll develop an instinct for which variable to push and which direction to push it.
Instead of isolated problems about heat transfer or work, the exam wraps thermodynamic concepts inside passage-based experimental scenarios and asks you to connect multiple concepts to answer a single question. Students who memorize Q = mcΔT but can't explain why boiling requires more energy in a closed system get stuck on many physics questions.
Every thermodynamic question on the MCAT reduces to one of three frameworks:
If you can identify which framework the question is testing in the first 10 seconds, you've already narrowed your approach and eliminated at least one answer choice.
Most students study physics for one or two semesters and then forget about it. The Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section (Chem/Phys) draws heavily from physics, and the topics span everything from kinematics and circuits to optics and fluid mechanics. Treating physics as an afterthought puts roughly 25% of your total MCAT score at risk.
Start physics content review early in your study timeline, not as a last-minute add-on. Students who leave physics until the final two weeks consistently report running out of time before they've built the conceptual fluency the exam demands. Physics rewards a deep understanding of relationships between variables.
Block dedicated physics study time into your weekly schedule rather than cramming it into general Chem/Phys review. Mixing physics with general chemistry and biochemistry review tends to push physics to the back of each session, where it gets the least attention and the most fatigue. Separate study blocks force you to engage with the material when your focus is at its peak.
We can help you figure out the right study timeline. The MCAT Study Schedule tool below can help you decide what content to prioritize, no matter how you choose to study.
Here’s an example of how to prioritize physics content in your three-month MCAT study schedule.
When studying for MCAT physics, prioritize the highest-yield categories first:
Once you feel confident in this foundation, add in magnetism, thermodynamics, and atomic physics. Spreading your study across the full topic list without anchoring the high-frequency material first leads to shallow coverage everywhere and confidence nowhere.
Physics on the MCAT is hard if you underprepare for it, but the difficulty is overstated. The exam tests mechanics, fluids, electricity, optics, and waves. No advanced physics or complex derivations appear on test day. Students who memorize formulas without understanding the relationships between variables get stuck. Students who build conceptual fluency handle the format well.
No, Physics 1 is not enough to perform well on the MCAT. Take both Physics 1 and Physics 2 courses before sitting for the exam. Mechanics, kinematics, work and energy, fluids, waves, and sound all fall within a standard Physics 1 curriculum, and those topics make up a significant portion of MCAT physics questions. Physics 2 content includes electrostatics, circuits, magnetism, optics, and atomic/nuclear physics. Skipping Physics 2 leaves major gaps in the Chem/Phys section that self-study alone may not close efficiently.
Yes, you can self-study MCAT physics, especially if you completed introductory physics courses and need to refresh rather than learn from scratch. The topic list is well-defined, and physics rewards consistent practice over passive review. Prioritize active problem-solving over rereading notes, and use full-length MCAT practice tests to optimize your understanding against real exam difficulty.
The Chem/Phys section contains 59 questions total, and physics-based questions typically make up around 25% of that section. Expect roughly 15 physics questions per exam, though the exact count varies by test date.
Physics concepts also appear in questions that primarily test chemistry or biochemistry. A passage about blood flow might combine fluid dynamics with cardiovascular biology. A question about medical imaging might blend optics with atomic physics. The actual number of questions where physics knowledge helps you is higher than the pure physics count suggests.
Plan for four to six weeks of dedicated physics review within your overall MCAT study timeline. Students with a strong physics background from recent coursework can often condense that to three weeks. Students who haven't touched physics in two or more years should study for the full six weeks.
MCAT physics questions are mostly conceptual. The majority of MCAT physics questions test whether you understand relationships between variables, not whether you can compute an exact answer. Calculations do show up, but they're designed to be solvable without a calculator. Study the concepts first, and the calculations become simple.
You need around 50 equations memorized. The MCAT does not provide a formula sheet. If you don't know the equation, you can't answer the question. Many equations share the same structure (Coulomb's Law and gravitational force are nearly identical in form), so learning one often means you already know another.
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