Is Pendulums removed from the 2015 MCAT Physics content?

[remedy23]

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I'm not sure if it's removed or part of the 2015 MCAT Exam, and it's not covered in the 2015 EK books either.

 

[El-Rami]

When in doubt, learn it. I'd consider it low-yield at the least. If I was a betting man, I'd say don't worry about it, though.

 

[littlebear92]

Just study it, they are notorious for having stuff not explicitly stated in the outline.

 

[medcrazy20]

I would study it

 

[ZDMaestro]

I second @medcrazy20...

 

[remedy23]

I would study it. (hint, hint: I just took the MCAT today)

omg, was it a whole passage or just a discrete? I would've thought pendulums would be hard to incorporate into a biological focus which is what they're trying to do with physics ...

 

[LaPola19_MD]

As someone who just took the mcat, let me tell you this whole notion that the physics and chem is being incorporated into biological stuff is BS. I would say more than half of my chem and physics passages were straight up pure chem and physics. This threw me up bc I was really hoping something more biolgical related like the exam...

 

[LaPola19_MD]

And I though pendulums were removed from the new outline... Since I couldnt find them on it...

 

[ElectricNoogie]

As someone who just took the mcat, let me tell you this whole notion that the physics and chem is being incorporated into biological stuff is BS. I would say more than half of my chem and physics passages were straight up pure chem and physics. This threw me up bc I was really hoping something more biolgical related like the exam...

This needs to be posted in any MCAT full length and prep thread and then taken to heart. Too many people on here are overly concerned with "Bio-oriented" passages. I have had students take the exam in every month and they all reported this. The AAMC still has lots of traditional "info-style" passages they are putting on the new MCAT. Having biological relevance is nice, but they also will test you on science basics in creative ways like they always have.

As for pendulums, the MCAT 2015 outline mentions periodic motion, frequency, amplitude, and it also mentions gravitational potential energy. All of this points to pendulums being very possible. Plus, if they do want to, testing certain joint movements as pendulum swings is possible. I'd say learn it.

Be sure to add your scores to the google doc when you get them. Good luck to all!

 

[remedy23]

And I though pendulums were removed from the new outline... Since I couldnt find them on it...

Uh, so I guess TPR had the right idea when they didn't update their books XD
Guess I'll be using them for Physics sigh.

 

[ZDMaestro]

As someone who just took the mcat, let me tell you this whole notion that the physics and chem is being incorporated into biological stuff is BS. I would say more than half of my chem and physics passages were straight up pure chem and physics. This threw me up bc I was really hoping something more biolgical related like the exam...

Did you take the old MCAT? I do think that this MCAT puts the chemistry/physics into a biological perspective, and this is coming from a person that has taken both the old and new. If you've taken the old, surely you'll remember how the old passages could be legitimately completely isolated from biology. I cannot recall a passage I had that wasn't related to biology in :some: way, but I will also say that I can't really remember any of the passages now. Anyway, the point is that I think it's much more geared in the biology direction.

As for pendulums, I remember that there was a sketch of a pendulum in the passage (or maybe my mind sketched it?), but I really don't remember much about it. I know that's lame that I say I can't remember, but I genuinely can't remember so much of what I saw. It happened so quickly! I believe most of the questions for that passage didn't focus on the pendulum at all. It was a really minor point, and the question I did have didn't test pendulum kinetics, but it did ask some physics question about it. I really can't remember what it was though. The point is that I saw a pendulum, there was at least one question about it, and it might not hurt to at least be somewhat familiar with it. With that said, if it's not on the list of things that are on the MCAT, then I wouldn't focus on it at all. Just maybe watch a quick video on it and move on. If they need you to do anything further, they'll probably tell you what you need in the passage.

 

[El-Rami]

The problem is the AAMC lists general concepts such as periodic motion. Pendulums could fall under this category. I would definitely memorize the equation and know how to solve the problem.

 

[LaPola19_MD]

Did you take the old MCAT? I do think that this MCAT puts the chemistry/physics into a biological perspective, and this is coming from a person that has taken both the old and new. If you've taken the old, surely you'll remember how the old passages could be legitimately completely isolated from biology. I cannot recall a passage I had that wasn't related to biology in :some: way, but I will also say that I can't really remember any of the passages now. Anyway, the point is that I think it's much more geared in the biology direction.

As for pendulums, I remember that there was a sketch of a pendulum in the passage (or maybe my mind sketched it?), but I really don't remember much about it. I know that's lame that I say I can't remember, but I genuinely can't remember so much of what I saw. It happened so quickly! I believe most of the questions for that passage didn't focus on the pendulum at all. It was a really minor point, and the question I did have didn't test pendulum kinetics, but it did ask some physics question about it. I really can't remember what it was though. The point is that I saw a pendulum, there was at least one question about it, and it might not hurt to at least be somewhat familiar with it. With that said, if it's not on the list of things that are on the MCAT, then I wouldn't focus on it at all. Just maybe watch a quick video on it and move on. If they need you to do anything further, they'll probably tell you what you need in the passage.

I just took the mcat last Saturday and i took the old one as well, and my impressions were that some passages last sat were not really that biologically focus as I expected, they were more dry pure chem and physics just like the old exam...

 

[panda16]

I would study it. (hint, hint: I just took the MCAT today)

Yet another reason I'm glad I took the May test