MCAT Tutor: The Physical Sciences Section

MCAT

MCAT tutor

At first, studying for the physical sciences section of the MCAT seems impossible.  As a student, how could I possibly review years of material in the couple of months before I take the MCAT?

As an MCAT tutor, it’s become clear that you really don’t have to. Instead, absolutely understanding a few example situations (preferably from everyday life), and then being comfortable enough with the concepts to branch out from there will serve much better.

Scientists use well-studied model situations all the time, so as an MCAT student, you should be comfortable with the same processes. 

For questions about phase changes and colligative properties, simply think about a glass of ice water with salt in it. When thinking about how intermolecular forces affect boiling points take some water and some alcohol (or ether-if you’re lucky enough to work in a lab) and spill it. Watch which one evaporates faster and then think about the forces and energy involved. The disappearing slick of alcohol will work itself into your memory much better than any theoretical explanation. Furthermore, these physical examples will serve as a check: if you can prevent yourself from choosing an answer that contradicts what you know to be true (because you watched it with your own eyes), that’s one more question right on the MCAT.

Here are some of my favorite examples:

1. Ice on the Roads- Colligative properties

Water freezing gives off heat. Farmers will often protect their crops from a cold snap by flooding their field- as the water freezes, it warms the surrounding air and protects plants from freezing.

2. Evaporation of water v. Evaporation of ether

One other thing I’ve found tremendously useful in tutoring the MCAT is a pKa table.

Set up a list of a few acids and bases (HCl, Acetic Acid, Water, Ammonia, Alkanes) and memorize their placement on the chart and why they are placed there. You’ll never miss a pKA/pH questions again, and you’ll make significant progress towards understanding what factors stabilize electrons- which is a key element in all of organic chemistry.

Click here to sign up for a free MCAT consult.

Comments

topicTopics
academics study skills MCAT medical school admissions SAT expository writing college admissions English MD/PhD admissions strategy writing LSAT GMAT GRE physics chemistry math biology graduate admissions academic advice ACT interview prep law school admissions test anxiety language learning premed MBA admissions career advice personal statements homework help AP exams creative writing MD study schedules test prep computer science Common Application summer activities history mathematics philosophy organic chemistry secondary applications economics supplements research 1L PSAT admissions coaching grammar law psychology statistics & probability legal studies ESL CARS SSAT covid-19 dental admissions logic games reading comprehension engineering USMLE calculus PhD admissions Spanish mentorship parents Latin biochemistry case coaching verbal reasoning DAT English literature STEM excel medical school political science skills AMCAS French Linguistics MBA coursework Tutoring Approaches academic integrity chinese letters of recommendation Anki DO Social Advocacy admissions advice algebra art history artificial intelligence astrophysics business cell biology classics diversity statement gap year genetics geometry kinematics linear algebra mechanical engineering mental health presentations quantitative reasoning study abroad technical interviews time management work and activities 2L DMD IB exams ISEE MD/PhD programs Sentence Correction adjusting to college algorithms amino acids analysis essay athletics business skills careers cold emails data science dental school finance first generation student functions graphing information sessions international students internships logic networking poetry resume revising science social sciences software engineering tech industry trigonometry writer's block 3L AAMC Academic Interest EMT FlexMed Fourier Series Greek Health Professional Shortage Area Italian Lagrange multipliers London MD vs PhD MMI Montessori National Health Service Corps Pythagorean Theorem Python Shakespeare Step 2 TMDSAS Taylor Series Truss Analysis Zoom acids and bases active learning architecture argumentative writing art art and design schools art portfolios bacteriology bibliographies biomedicine brain teaser campus visits cantonese capacitors capital markets central limit theorem centrifugal force chemical engineering chess chromatography class participation climate change clinical experience community service constitutional law consulting cover letters curriculum dementia demonstrated interest dimensional analysis distance learning econometrics electric engineering electricity and magnetism escape velocity evolution executive function freewriting genomics harmonics health policy history of medicine history of science hybrid vehicles hydrophobic effect ideal gas law immunology induction infinite institutional actions integrated reasoning intermolecular forces intern investing investment banking lab reports linear maps mandarin chinese matrices mba medical physics meiosis microeconomics mitosis mnemonics music music theory nervous system neurology neuroscience object-oriented programming office hours operating systems