AAMC likes wikipedia?

[yaffe]

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I was doing ptest 4 as part of MCAT prep, and I saw something in one of the question solutions about transverse waves. Upon looking it up on wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_wave), I couldn't help but notice that the wording in wiki and on the ptest was nearly identical.

Wiki says, "Mechanical waves are a local oscillation of material. Only the energy propagates; the oscillating material does not move far from its initial equilibrium position; the wave travels by jumping from one particle of the medium to another."

MCAT practice test 4, item 35 solution says, "Mechanical waves, such as sound and water waves, are a local oscillation of material. Only the energy propagates; the oscillating material does not move far from its initial equilibrium position."

It is possible that wiki quoted the ptest, but an AAMC ptest seems like the last place a wiki author would go for a convenient description of transverse waves. AAMC, on the other hand... what could be easier than quoting wiki?

 

[DirtyJustice]

I was doing ptest 4 as part of MCAT prep, and I saw something in one of the question solutions about transverse waves. Upon looking it up on wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_wave), I couldn't help but notice that the wording in wiki and on the ptest was nearly identical.

Wiki says, "Mechanical waves are a local oscillation of material. Only the energy propagates; the oscillating material does not move far from its initial equilibrium position; the wave travels by jumping from one particle of the medium to another."

MCAT practice test 4, item 35 solution says, "Mechanical waves, such as sound and water waves, are a local oscillation of material. Only the energy propagates; the oscillating material does not move far from its initial equilibrium position."

It is possible that wiki quoted the ptest, but an AAMC ptest seems like the last place a wiki author would go for a convenient description of transverse waves. AAMC, on the other hand... what could be easier than quoting wiki?

Maybe they both quoted the same text book?

 

[jm192]

Maybe they both quoted the same text book?

Wikipedia does not quote textbooks! Textbooks quote wikipedia!

 

[LizzyM]

Maybe the exam writer also wrote the wiki entry?

 

[yaffe]

They could have quoted the same book, but this just seems horribly unlikely. Imagine all of the books either of them could go to to obtain a decent quote about transverse waves.

It just seems too strange that they use identical sentences. One must also keep in mind that AAMC hires academics to write their questions - they even have an "Item Writer's Guide" that gives people directions on how to make good material. And most of the PhDs I know of do browse wikipedia at least as often as anyone else.

I don't know much about the process, but I would think that if some regular guy were looking for information to explain the answer to a question he wrote, wikipedia wouldn't be a bad place to go for help. This seems more likely than both AAMC and wikipedia going to the same textbook or the wiki and AAMC writer being the same.

 

[equios]

Maybe there are only so many ways to describe a physical phenomena?

 

[Chemdude]

Uh-Oh!

Looks like we have some lazy exam writers!

 

[RogueUnicorn]

wouldn't your time be better served studying?

 

[wanderer]

On an actual MCAT I took I had a particular passage (and question and answers as well) that was full of little random factoids. I looked up the topic (it was relating to a disease) on wikipedia and most (like 5/7) of the answers could be found in the rather short wikipedia page, even though some of those things were only marginally related to the disease. In other words, it seemed as if the author(s) of the passage and its questions were relying heavily upon wikipedia.

 

[eablackwell]

My June MCAT had a passage and questions almost exactly from a physics test I took in 1st semester. I had to read it twice, Just to be sure I wasn't imagining things. I almost started giggling I was so happy. At least that was one passage I nailed 😉

 

[yaffe]

wouldn't your time be better served studying?

Yes, it would. How about yours?

 

[yaffe]

On an actual MCAT I took I had a particular passage (and question and answers as well) that was full of little random factoids. I looked up the topic (it was relating to a disease) on wikipedia and most (like 5/7) of the answers could be found in the rather short wikipedia page, even though some of those things were only marginally related to the disease. In other words, it seemed as if the author(s) of the passage and its questions were relying heavily upon wikipedia.

This is interesting to me. Maybe I should be looking things up on wikipedia more often in that case, especially if it is direct preparation for the exam.

 

[yaffe]

My June MCAT had a passage and questions almost exactly from a physics test I took in 1st semester. I had to read it twice, Just to be sure I wasn't imagining things. I almost started giggling I was so happy. At least that was one passage I nailed 😉

I guess that reinforces the idea that you can never study too much for the exam. You never know when something you've seen randomly will show up. Speaking of which - I better get back to it!

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Yes, it would. How about yours?

pretty sure i'm done studying for the calendar year.

but thanks

 

[Laryngophed]

Maybe the exam writer also wrote the wiki entry?

Or maybe someone took the exam, saw the answer and edited the Wiki entry to reflect the answer given to them.

 

[Ischemic]

thank God I don't have to worry about such garbage anymore... transverse waves? The **** are those again?

 

[The Poet Sings]

thank God I don't have to worry about such garbage anymore... transverse waves? The **** are those again?

my sentiments exactly. although i will be upset if school starts and i see them again! (i see you're a student, how far along are you? i want an idea of how many more wave free years i def have left )

 

[yaffe]

thank God I don't have to worry about such garbage anymore... transverse waves? The **** are those again?

hahaha. i wish i could say the same.

 

[yaffe]

Or maybe someone took the exam, saw the answer and edited the Wiki entry to reflect the answer given to them.

who knows - you could be right about that.

 

[Pulsar]

Or maybe someone took the exam, saw the answer and edited the Wiki entry to reflect the answer given to them.

+1 -- was waiting for someone to suggest this. seems most likely