Calc-based physics?

[medicin]

hey all,

so im currently in the second part of my physics sequence at my school. Both courses are physics that do not involve calculus.

I was wondering if I should, when studying in the summer for the MCATs for August, know how to solve problems using calculus?

Thanks,

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[Arsenic]

hey all,

so im currently in the second part of my physics sequence at my school. Both courses are physics that do not involve calculus.

I was wondering if I should, when studying in the summer for the MCATs for August, know how to solve problems using calculus?

Thanks,

nope medicin, dont worry there is no calculus based physics on the mcat. good luck!

 

[xonkdt]

okay so ill be taking a physics class this summer and we have one that is calculus based and one that is not. Do you recommend taking the latter?

 

[Law2Doc]

okay so ill be taking a physics class this summer and we have one that is calculus based and one that is not. Do you recommend taking the latter?

Go with whichever one you think you will do better at. If you are a solid science student and recently had and did well at calculus, you might find it easier to be at the high end of that curve. If the competition is tougher in the calculus one (i.e. lots of physics and engineering majors, perhaps), just take the other one. But as the prior poster suggested, either course is fine for the MCAT -- you will use no calculus and the couple of equations you may need that are calculus derived are quite easy enough to memorize and just plug and chug (no one derives them at the test). Adcoms are generally indifferent about the distinction, and would rather see an A in either. And you will likely never have a use for either calculus or more than a token amount of physics once you get past the MCAT and into med school.

 

[medicin]

Thanks, guys.

 

[xonkdt]

yah thanks...i took AP calc BC in high school but that was like over 2 years ago so i might just do the regular physics (without calc) but we'll see maybe ill talk to someone in the department

 

[DrBowtie]

yah thanks...i took AP calc BC in high school but that was like over 2 years ago so i might just do the regular physics (without calc) but we'll see maybe ill talk to someone in the department

The calculus in calc based physics is very simple. The hardest part is portions that are calc 3 (vector stuff) and in LRC circuits there is a little DE but we we given the solution to the DE.