MCAT Physics

[maybemed2013]

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I am having a very hard time getting a good understanding of physics.
I been reading my textbook along with TPR physics and I just can not get it.

Retention of the information is my main problem, when I am reading my textbook or TPR I also do the practice problems am I get the majority of them right but when I am doing practice problems out of TPR science workbook I am not doing so well...this especially happens to me on the mechanical section of physics.... I been studying the same chapter for TWO weeks now and I can't get a good grip of it..... I understand the theory but then when I have to do a practice problem I get SO confuse because of the wording of the question.

I am thinking about not focusing on mechanical physics... I am going to read the lecture so I can understand the theory but I think I am not going to attempt the practice problems and YES I am taking the MCAT in January, BUT THAT ISN'T ENOUGH TIME FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND THIS BULL.

I have taken physics in high school and college.....I just can't get it though. especially since the physics questions are never straight forward, it takes a lot of critical thinking and application to do a problem.

 

[V5RED]

Have you taken physics yet in college?

 

[maybemed2013]

Does TPR physics contain more information than what is needed for the mcat. I want on to mcat-review.org/physics and some of the topics that I was having trouble on were not even there and the site claim that the mcat doesn't cover complex pulley systems which TPR does and ExamKrackers states that tension is beyond the scope of the MCAT and that was the main topic in TPR Science workbook mechanics that was making me cry.

So does TPR physics cover material that is beyond MCAT physics?.... But I do remember some post from fellow sdners complaining that EK would say a topic not on the MCAT and it was on the MCAT.

 

[maybemed2013]

I answered my own question I looked at AAMC and realized tension isn't on the list....so TPR physics does contain more topics than want is on the mcat.

 

[vashka]

I answered my own question I looked at AAMC and realized tension isn't on the list....so TPR physics does contain more topics than want is on the mcat.

Tension might not be explicitly on the list but it's included in discussion of force. There's nothing in TPR that isn't on the mcat.

 

[maybemed2013]

I am screwed... I am just going to skip that part of mechanics mathematical problems I will know the theory .... and pray for the best on my mcat.

 

[V5RED]

I am confused as to how tension can be considered a difficult topic. It isn't even really a topic on its own.

Is there some application of tension that confuses you?

You might want to try the videos at khanacademy.org if you are lost. He has 3 videos about tension and given the quality of his other videos, I am sure they will be helpful.

 

[maybemed2013]

Yes it the application of the theories that confuse me.... the wording of physics questions are so damn confusing.

 

[Temperature101]

Yes it the application of the theories that confuse me.... the wording of physics questions are so damn confusing.

Welcome to my world...Every problem in physics is different scenario.

 

[maybemed2013]

There are two sections in PR physics that I am having trouble on they are

Mechanics 1-- Mass Force and Newtons Laws, Newtons Laws of Gravitation, Friction, Inclined Planes, Pulleys.
and
Mechanics 2--Center of MAss, Uniform Circular of Motion, Torque and Equilibrium. Rotational Inertia

I understand the theory part I just for the life of me can't apply the theory to do problems... I am thinking of just forgetting about learning the calculations part of these sections and only focusing on the theories.

The makers of the mcat probably know that one person can not master all the topics on the MCAT..... I just have to skip these topics and focus on the other physics topics ..... I did this when I was in undergraduate courses and this is probably want I will have to do for the MCAT.

If I can't for the life of me understand something.. skip it and strengthen the topics that I do know. In this case I will have to skip the above physics topics.... I just want a 9 in PS.... I am a general chemistry tutor so I know gen chem like I know my name.

 

[V5RED]

There are two sections in PR physics that I am having trouble on they are

Mechanics 1-- Mass Force and Newtons Laws, Newtons Laws of Gravitation, Friction, Inclined Planes, Pulleys.
and
Mechanics 2--Center of MAss, Uniform Circular of Motion, Torque and Equilibrium. Rotational Inertia

I understand the theory part I just for the life of me can't apply the theory to do problems... I am thinking of just forgetting about learning the calculations part of these sections and only focusing on the theories.

The makers of the mcat probably know that one person can not master all the topics on the MCAT..... I just have to skip these topics and focus on the other physics topics ..... I did this when I was in undergraduate courses and this is probably want I will have to do for the MCAT.

If I can't for the life of me understand something.. skip it and strengthen the topics that I do know. In this case I will have to skip the above physics topics.... I just want a 9 in PS.... I am a general chemistry tutor so I know gen chem like I know my name.

You are expected to understand and be able to solve problems regarding every topic on the AAMC topic lists.

Giving up on something because it is tough to understand is an awful way to go about things. You say that for the life of you you can't learn this stuff. I remember a wrestling coach telling us that no matter how tired we felt, if he pulled out a shot gun and told us to run, we would all be able to keep going. I bet the same would be true if I pulled a gun on you and told you to learn this stuff.

What I think you should do is look at the tons of great videos online to help you understand physics. You can also use your textbook from your physics class and work on problems. You can buy books of problems to work on. You should not bow down to basic mechanics topics.

Honestly though, you should have learned this stuff in class. For stuff you had trouble with you should have gone to your professor for help in office hours. I know this is not helpful advice to you since you already finished your physics classes, but hopefully someone sees this thread and realizes that he is paying his school to teach him physics, so he should bloody well actually learn the concepts or it will bite him in the ass come MCAT prep time.

 

[shaboobly]

general physics outline:

1) take what you already know from passage/question stem
2) figure out what you are looking for
3) find relevant equations or concepts
4) solve

don't think about physics as if it were something extremely complicated because a lot of times there is extraneous info that you don't even need. just figure out what you have and where you need to go (you should have the most prominent equations memorized like the energy of a photon or simple wave equations).

 

[maybemed2013]

Kinda feeling better I did the passage question for Chapter 3 in the review book and got 5 out of 7 RIGHT..... I do not why but the questions in the science workbook are SO damn hard.

I did chapter 2 and 3 from the science workbook and I there were 40 out of 113 questions I got wrong or had no idea how to answer.

 

[maybemed2013]

Also wanted to add Chads in the Man... I been watching the physics videos and the **** finally makes sense... can't wait to watch his other videos... if only he finish bio section... hopefully Jco will be just as good.