Crystal Lattices

[ratatat]

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Hey I have a question regarding inorganic chemistry and crystal lattices. Are we responsible for knowing that stuff for the MCAT ie. face centred cubes, body centred cubes, coordination numbers, tetrahedral holes, r and R ratios?

Has anyone ever come across these in MCAT prep sessions or actual MCAT tests?

Thanks a lot

 

[free09]

No, you don't have to know any of that. Here is the official list of topics to consult: www.aamc.org/students/mcat/preparing/pstopics.pdf

 

[ratatat]

Thank you sir

 

[millepora]

Kaplan has it in the book, but the EK doesn't. I really would like to know if Kaplan just adds things in the book that you really don't need to know. I also have been going by that link for AAMC too.

Kaplan also seemed to require background knowledge on the t2g and eg spins for inorganic on one of their practice tests too.

 

[dapmp91]

crystal lattices sound yummy 🙂

 

[Segovia]

Hopefully you just have to be able to plug charges and radii into coloumb's law and rank order lattice energies. We just did the lattice structures in physics and I wanted to shoot myself in the face everyday...I think I am incapable of grasping that topic.

 

[clifftacopter]

There was a question involving coordinate numbers in my MCAT exam, fyi.

 

[sv3]

I have completed chem and it didn't mention lattices in any depth whatsoever. Under the one paragraph on solids i think the term was used just twice. Considering that TPR has about 2 pages for every Ek page, I would find it odd that they miss something completely that would be of any importance. So...I am not worried about it but as the reply above indicates, who the heck really knows!!@>?

sv3

 

[clifftacopter]

Yeah, I mean I really wouldn't worry about it. It was just one question and I doubt would have any significant impact on your score. There's going to be unknowns and weird things on every test, just don't let it phase you.

 

[ratatat]

Thanks for the info, I'll try to look over coordinate numbers and that stuff briefly then, but I definitely won't emphasize it.

Thanks everyone for the answers.