Is Light & Optics a high-yield topic?

[pinkcadillac]

Is Light & Optics considered a high-yield topic?

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[thitchcock]

I always highted light/optics/prism problems so i didnt study it real hard for the MCAT thinking there would be no way that would be on there rather than kinematics and all the other stuff but with my luck, of course, on the 7/8/2010 test there was a whole passage on prisms/optics... so you ca either think about it as hey they already tested over it this year so it most likely wont be used again so soon, or study it pretty good since it IS tested on...

 

[addo]

Unless there is a passage on optics, there will most likely be only 1 or 2 questions about it.

 

[Mp07d]

Well...I've had passages on lights and optics on the past 3 practice tests............so, just know it really well.

 

[aerin47]

That's my favorite subject.

 

[brado]

Mine had a passage on it

 

[kehlsh]

I love it.

Once you get it, it's hard to get over it.

 

[astrife]

About 3 or so questions on it today's mcat 7/16

 

[Dr Optimistic]

Yes... on practice MCATs and my MCAT...

true story.... yeah

 

[ANEShopeful]

On my last 2 practice tests, I've had 6-8 questions on this thing...which really sucks because I always thought light/optics was relatively low-yield compared to mechanics/e&m. Anyone take the MCAT recently seen these? I don't really mind optics, but light (esp. diffraction and EM waves) is tough.

 

[paul411]

It's a you-need-to-know-this topic.

 

[ModernAlchemist]

What is this high-yield topic business? If it's on the content list, you definitely need to know it.

 

[Gnomes]

It was a very high-yield topic for me, because it wasn't covered in my undergraduate physics course. (The school broke up calculus based physics into three semesters - two of them were required for my major. Optics was in the third.) Fortunately, the light and optics stuff on the MCAT is simple and can be learned in a day or two.

 

[muhali3]

About 3 or so questions on it today's mcat 7/16

1. AAMC is going to get yoo! I don't think you're allowed to say that type of stuff now since they've become super strict about what you can say about your MCAT, but whatever.

2. How do you even remember?

 

[RSum]

It's more than likely. Plus a good chance of a stand alone.

My main content advice, is when the index of refraction becomes higher (a ray entering from a lower n), the wavelength becomes shorter and the ray bends toward the normal.

When the light ray is entering a medium with a smaller n, the wavelength becomes longer, the speed of the light ray becomes faster and it bends away from the normal.