# MCAT Equation Sheet Mastery

> Quick recall and application strategies for equations provided on the MCAT equation sheet, including units and common applications

- **Canonical URL:** https://flashcards.world/flashcards/sets/0ad1644f-d382-43d5-a77e-d73a257149d4/
- **Markdown URL:** https://flashcards.world/flashcards/sets/0ad1644f-d382-43d5-a77e-d73a257149d4.md
- **Level:** basic
- **Languages:** en → en
- **Total Cards:** 48

## Flashcards (48 Cards)

| # | Front (Term / Prompt) | Back (Definition / Answer) | Example | Multiple-Choice Options |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 1 | What is the formula for the electric potential energy between two charges? | U = k(q₁q₂/r), where U is electric potential energy, k is Coulomb's constant, q₁ and q₂ are charges, and r is distance between them. |  |  |
| 2 | What is the formula for kinetic energy? | KE = 1/2 mv², where m is mass and v is velocity. |  |  |
| 3 | What is the formula for the centripetal acceleration? | a_c = v²/r, where a_c is centripetal acceleration, v is velocity, and r is radius. |  |  |
| 4 | What is the formula for the work-energy theorem? | W = ΔKE, where W is work done and ΔKE is the change in kinetic energy. |  |  |
| 5 | What is the formula for the change in entropy? | ΔS = Q_rev/T, where ΔS is change in entropy, Q_rev is reversible heat transfer, and T is temperature. |  |  |
| 6 | What is the formula for the total resistance in a series circuit? | R_total = R₁ + R₂ + ... + R_n, where R_total is total resistance and R₁, R₂, ..., R_n are individual resistances. |  |  |
| 7 | What is the equation for the frequency of a simple harmonic oscillator? | f = 1/(2π)√(k/m), where f is frequency, k is spring constant, and m is mass. |  |  |
| 8 | What is the formula for the area of a circle? | A = πr², where A is area and r is the radius. |  |  |
| 9 | What is the formula for the frequency of a wave in a medium? | f = v/λ, where f is frequency, v is wave speed in the medium, and λ is wavelength. |  |  |
| 10 | What is the formula for the pressure in a fluid? | P = F/A, where P is pressure, F is force, and A is area. |  |  |
| 11 | What is the formula for the total energy in a system? | E_total = KE + PE + U, where U is internal energy. |  |  |
| 12 | What is the formula for the speed of a wave on a string? | v = √(T/μ), where v is wave speed, T is tension, and μ is linear mass density. |  |  |
| 13 | What is the equation for the electric field due to a point charge? | E = k(q/r²), where E is electric field, k is Coulomb's constant, q is charge, and r is distance from the charge. |  |  |
| 14 | What is the equation for the buoyant force? | F_b = ρVg, where F_b is buoyant force, ρ is fluid density, V is volume displaced, and g is acceleration due to gravity. |  |  |
| 15 | What is the equation for electric power? | P = IV, where P is power, I is current, and V is voltage. |  |  |
| 16 | What is the principle of conservation of energy? | Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. |  |  |
| 17 | What is the equation for the force on a charged particle in a magnetic field? | F = q(v × B), where F is force, q is charge, v is velocity, and B is magnetic field. |  |  |
| 18 | What does the variable 'g' represent in physics equations? | 'g' represents the acceleration due to gravity, approximately 9.81 m/s² on Earth. |  |  |
| 19 | What is the equation for the conservation of charge? | The total charge before an interaction equals the total charge after the interaction. |  |  |
| 20 | What is the equation for the angular momentum of a rotating object? | L = Iω, where L is angular momentum, I is moment of inertia, and ω is angular velocity. |  |  |
| 21 | What is the equation for the Doppler effect? | f' = f(v ± vo)/(v ∓ vs), where f' is observed frequency, f is source frequency, vo is observer speed, vs is source speed, and v is wave speed. |  |  |
| 22 | What is the equation for the total resistance in a parallel circuit? | 1/R_total = 1/R₁ + 1/R₂ + ... + 1/R_n. |  |  |
| 23 | What is the formula for the frequency of a wave? | f = v/λ, where f is frequency, v is wave speed, and λ is wavelength. |  |  |
| 24 | What is the equation for the energy of a photon? | E = hf, where E is energy, h is Planck's constant, and f is frequency. |  |  |
| 25 | What is the formula for the speed of light in a vacuum? | c = 3.00 × 10⁸ m/s. |  |  |
| 26 | What is the equation for the ideal mechanical advantage of a lever? | IMA = d_input/d_output, where IMA is ideal mechanical advantage, d_input is distance from the fulcrum to the input force, and d_output is distance to the output force. |  |  |
| 27 | What is the equation for the period of a simple pendulum? | T = 2π√(L/g), where T is period, L is length, and g is acceleration due to gravity. |  |  |
| 28 | What is the formula for the total mechanical energy in a conservative system? | E_total = KE + PE, where E_total is total mechanical energy, KE is kinetic energy, and PE is potential energy. |  |  |
| 29 | What is the equation for the work done by a gas during expansion? | W = PΔV, where W is work, P is pressure, and ΔV is change in volume. |  |  |
| 30 | What is the formula for the energy stored in a capacitor? | U = 1/2 CV², where U is energy, C is capacitance, and V is voltage. |  |  |
| 31 | What is the formula for the gravitational force between two masses? | F = G(m₁m₂/r²), where F is force, G is the gravitational constant, m₁ and m₂ are masses, and r is the distance between their centers. |  |  |
| 32 | What is Ohm's Law? | V = IR, where V is voltage, I is current, and R is resistance. |  |  |
| 33 | What is the equation for the critical angle in total internal reflection? | sin(θ_c) = n₂/n₁, where θ_c is the critical angle, n₁ is the refractive index of the first medium, and n₂ is the refractive index of the second medium. |  |  |
| 34 | How do you calculate potential energy in a gravitational field? | PE = mgh, where m is mass, g is acceleration due to gravity, and h is height. |  |  |
| 35 | What does the variable 'R' represent in the ideal gas law? | 'R' is the universal gas constant, approximately 0.0821 L·atm/(K·mol). |  |  |
| 36 | What is the equation for the volume of a cylinder? | V = πr²h, where V is volume, r is radius, and h is height. |  |  |
| 37 | What is the formula for the change in pressure in a fluid? | ΔP = ρgh, where ΔP is change in pressure, ρ is fluid density, g is acceleration due to gravity, and h is height difference. |  |  |
| 38 | What is the formula for the ideal gas law? | PV = nRT, where P is pressure, V is volume, n is number of moles, R is the gas constant, and T is temperature. |  |  |
| 39 | What is the equation for Newton's second law of motion? | F = ma, where F is force, m is mass, and a is acceleration. |  |  |
| 40 | What is the equation for the harmonic frequency of a string fixed at both ends? | f_n = n(v/2L), where f_n is the frequency of the nth harmonic, n is the harmonic number, v is wave speed, and L is length of the string. |  |  |
| 41 | What is the equation for the heat transfer in a substance? | Q = mcΔT, where Q is heat transfer, m is mass, c is specific heat capacity, and ΔT is change in temperature. |  |  |
| 42 | What is the formula for the moment of inertia of a solid cylinder? | I = 1/2 m r², where I is moment of inertia, m is mass, and r is radius. |  |  |
| 43 | What is the formula for the wavelength of a standing wave on a string? | λ = 2L/n, where λ is wavelength, L is length of the string, and n is the harmonic number. |  |  |
| 44 | What is the equation for work done by a constant force? | W = Fd cos(θ), where W is work, F is force, d is displacement, and θ is the angle between force and displacement. |  |  |
| 45 | What is the equation for the conservation of momentum? | p_initial = p_final, where p is momentum (p = mv). |  |  |
| 46 | What is the equation for the acceleration of an object in free fall? | a = g, where a is acceleration and g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s²). |  |  |
| 47 | What is the equation for the frequency of light? | f = c/λ, where f is frequency, c is the speed of light, and λ is wavelength. |  |  |
| 48 | What is the formula for the efficiency of a machine? | Efficiency = (Useful work output / Total work input) × 100%. |  |  |

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