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MCAT > Physics > Flashcards

Physics Flashcards

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MCAT flashcards
1
Q

Specific Gravity

A

A measure of how condensed a substance is relative to liquid water.

Specific gravity = (density of substance)/(density of water)

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2
Q

Capacitor

A

A circuit component used to store electric charge.

A dielectric can be used to increase the amount of charge that can be stored in the capacitor.

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3
Q

Current

A

The net flow of electrical charge.

The direction of current is defined by the movement of positive charges. If electrons are moving clockwise in a circuit, the direction of current is counterclockwise.

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4
Q

Radiation

A

The transfer of heat by the absorption of electromagnetic radiation.

Radiation does not require a medium for heat transfer to occur.

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5
Q

Density

A

A measure of how condensed a substance is.

Density = mass/volume

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6
Q

Newton’s 1st Law

A

An object at rest will stay at rest and an object in motion will stay in motion with the same speed and direction if the net force on the object is 0.

With a net force of 0, the velocity of an object will be constant.

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7
Q

Wavelength

A

The distance between two identical points in a wave.

Wavelength and frequency are inversely related.

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8
Q

Vector

A

Quantities described by a magnitude and a direction.

A projectile’s velocity of 40 m/s at an angle of 30° above the horizontal is a vector quantity.

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9
Q

Newton’s 3rd Law

A

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

An object that exerts a force on a second object will experience a force from the second object that is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction.

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10
Q

Coulomb’s Law

A

The electrostatic force between two charged particles is directly proportional to the product of the magnitude of the two charges and inversely proportional to square of the distance between the two charges.

Like charges (both positive or both negative) repel and opposite charges attract.

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11
Q

Displacement

A

A vector quantity that describes the change in position of an object, calculated as final position minus initial position.

If you run a 400 m circular lap, your displacement is 0 m because your position did not change.

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12
Q

Refraction

A

A change in the direction of a wave as it passes from one medium into another

A wave will not refract if it strikes the interface of the two mediums perpendicularly.

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13
Q

Ohm’s Law

A

The current passing through a resistor in a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage across the resistor with the resistance as the proportionality constant.

Voltage = current x resistance

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14
Q

Viscosity

A

A measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow.

The visocity of a fluid increases with the strength of the intermolecular forces between the fluid molecules.

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15
Q

Convection

A

The transfer of heat by continuous circulation of a liquid or gas.

When water is heated on a stove, the water at the bottom will increase in temperature, expand, and rise up to the surface. The cooler water molecules on the top sinks and then is heated. The repetition of this cycle is convection.

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16
Q

Frequency

A

Number of cycles completed per second.

Frequency has units of 1/s or hertz (Hz).

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17
Q

Doppler Effect

A

The change in the perceived frequency of a wave due to the relative motion between the source and the detector.

If the source and detector are moving towards each other, the perceived frequency will be higher than the actual frequency of the emitted sound wave. If the source and detector are moving away from each other, the perceived frequency will be lower.

18
Q

Surface Tension

A

The energy required to increase the surface area of a liquid.

Small insects are able to walk on water because their weight is not strong enough to break the surface tension of water.

19
Q

Velocity

A

A vector quantity that describes the rate at which an object’s position changes.

Velocity is calculated as the displacement divided by the time in which the motion took place.

20
Q

Resistance

A

A measure of the difficulty of electric current to pass through a conductor.

The resistance of a resistor depends on the material that was used to build the resistor and the dimensions of the resistor (area and length).

21
Q

Amplitude

A

The maximum displacement from equilibrium.

The loudness of a wave increases with the amplitude of the sound wave.

22
Q

Distance

A

A scalar quantity that descibed how much ground an object covers in its motion.

If you run a 400 m circular lap, your distance traveled in 400 m.

23
Q

Static Friction

A

The friction between two objects that are not in motion.

When you try to push a box with an applied force and it does not move, the force of static friction is opposing your applied force.

24
Q

Work Energy Theorem

A

The work done by the net force on an object is equal to the object’s change in kinetic energy.

When a car stops after the breaks are applied, the loss of kinetic energy is equal to the work done by the force of friction.

25
Q

Newton’s 2nd Law

A

The acceration of an object is directly proporation to the net force on the object and inversely proportional to the object’s mass.

Force = mass x acceleration

26
Q

Scalar

A

Quantities described by a magnitude alone.

An box’s mass of 10 kg is a scalar quantity.

27
Q

Gravitation Potentional Energy

A

The energy that an object posesses due to its position within a gravitational field.

Gravitational potential energy, Change in PE = mass x gravity x (change in height)

28
Q

Kinetic Energy

A

The energy of motion.

Translational kinetic energy, KE = ½?mass?velocity²

29
Q

Speed

A

A scalar quantity that describes the rate at which an object moves.

Speed is calculated as the distance divided by the time in which the motion took place.

30
Q

Conservative Forces

A

A force where the work done is path independent.

The force of gravity is a conversative force.

31
Q

Pitch

A

The perception of how high or low a sound is.

A higher frequency wave will be perceived at a higher pitch than a lower frequency wave.

32
Q

Ultrasound

A

Sound waves with a frequency greater than 20,000 Hz.

The range of sound wave frequencies that can be perceived by humans is 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

33
Q

Archimede’s Principle

A

The magnitude of the buoyant force is equal to the weight of the displaced fluid.

Floating objects displace a volume of fluid with a weight equal to the object’s weight.

34
Q

Kinetic Friction

A

The friction between two objects that are in motion.

As you push a box on the floor across the room, the force of kinetic friction is opposing your applied force.

35
Q

Work

A

A measure of how much a force contributes to the displacement of an object.

Work, W=force x displacement x cos(theta), where theta is the angle between the force and the direction of motion

36
Q

Center Mass

A

The point of an object where the object will be perfectly balanced if supported only at that point.

For objects of uniform density, the center of mass is the geometric center of the object.

37
Q

Longitudinal Waves

A

Waves that displace the medium in the same direction of wave propagation

Sound is a longitudinal wave.

38
Q

Buoyancy

A

An upward force exerted on an object by a fluid.

The buoyant force results from the pressure below the object being greater than the pressure above the object.

39
Q

Transerve Waves

A

Waves that displace the medium perpendicularly to the direction of wave propagation

Light (electromagnetic waves) is a transverse wave.

40
Q

Power

A

The rate at which work is done.

Power=work/time

41
Q

Conduction

A

The transfer of heat by direct contact between two objects.

The molecules of a warmer object vibrate faster than those in a cooler object. When placed in contact, the faster vibrating molecules of the warmer object will collide with the slower vibrating molecules of the cooler object to transfer heat.

42
Q

Reflection

A

A change in the direction of a wave at the interface between two mediums.

In reflection, the wave remains in the same medium from which it originated.

MCAT (6 decks)

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