Ever encounter these crazy numbers?

[SuperSaiyan3]

On the actual MCAT, have you ever have to MEMORIZE (not just run across on the test):

- root of irrational numbers
- e to the power of whatever (e being logarithm or something i don't know)
- ln 2, ln 3 or ln whatever?
- log 5.7248 or whatever irrational numbers?

I know you are supposed to guestimate like crazy, but what have you ever encountered situations where you needed to know the values of these numbers and you just couldn't remember??

Frankly, I've never run across situations where I had to memorize these values on the real AAMC (yet) but I did a couple of times with Kaplan exams.

let me know. thanks.

SS3

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[ksmi117]

The only roots I'd think you may want to know are sqrt(2) and sqrt(3). But you still wouldn't need to know exact numbers.

Here's some help:

Valentine's Day is 2/14 - sqrt(2) = 1.4...
St. Patty's Day is 3/17 - sqrt(3) = 1.7...

Other than that, guesstimating should be enough.

 

[schrizto]

^ that's a pretty neat memorization trick!

 

[Wheee]

ooh, ksmi i like that one!

I would say know those two square roots (for trig stuff), and maybe ln2 for half-life. You're probably fine with just a ballpark figure for those anyway, because the answers will probably be far apart enough for it to not matter.

 

[capn jazz]

Know log2 and log3 and you can solve any log problem.

log2 = .3
log3 = .5

 

[SuperSaiyan3]

Know log2 and log3 and you can solve any log problem.

log2 = .3
log3 = .5

how so?

and congrats on your 1k membership!

 

[capn jazz]

Holy crap, I've posted a thousand times??? That's just embarrassing....

Anyway, any non-prime number is divisible by 2 or 3 so you can break anything down:
log80 = log (10*8) = log10 + log8 = 1 + log (2^3) = 1 + 3log2 = 1 + 3*.3 = 1.9

 

[ksmi117]

Holy crap, I've posted a thousand times??? That's just embarrassing....

Anyway, any non-prime number is divisible by 2 or 3 so you can break anything down:
log80 = log (10*8) = log10 + log8 = 1 + log (2^3) = 1 + 3log2 = 1 + 3*.3 = 1.9

Um, I agree that knowing ln2 and ln3 is enough. But not all non-prime numbers are divisible by 2 and 3, 35 for example. However, if you had ln35 (which you wouldn't), you could def estimate by taking ln36 which would break down to ln2's and ln3's.

 

[capn jazz]

Um, I agree that knowing ln2 and ln3 is enough. But not all non-prime numbers are divisible by 2 and 3, 35 for example. However, if you had ln35 (which you wouldn't), you could def estimate by taking ln36 which would break down to ln2's and ln3's.

hahaha, you're totally right. I think the MCAT ate my brain.

 

[ksmi117]

hahaha, you're totally right. I think the MCAT ate my brain.

That sounds painful.

 

[TurkSurg]

The only roots I'd think you may want to know are sqrt(2) and sqrt(3). But you still wouldn't need to know exact numbers.

Here's some help:

Valentine's Day is 2/14 - sqrt(2) = 1.4...
St. Patty's Day is 3/17 - sqrt(3) = 1.7...

Other than that, guesstimating should be enough.