Thermodynamics on the MCAT

[Transformers]

Hi guys,

Curious question because I was going over the MCAT syllabus from the 2003 edition and mcat review books. Thermodynamics tends to be taught in all three subjects (bioenergetics for biology, chemistry, and physics)....
On the MCAT, I understand that most of the Physical Sciences comes from biology/chemistry thermo, but what about Physics. I guess I am referring to those 3 specific chapters in Halliday Resnick's Physics Textbook that teaches about Kinetic Theory, Gases, and the Laws of Thermodynamics, and Engines (Carnot, Sterling) and PV diagrams....however, I am not sure about its applicability to the MCAT. Chemistry thermo on the contrary deals more along the lines with free energy, calorimetry, etc.....

Thanks guys.

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[BerkReviewTeach]

Hi guys,

Curious question because I was going over the MCAT syllabus from the 2003 edition and mcat review books. Thermodynamics tends to be taught in all three subjects (bioenergetics for biology, chemistry, and physics)....
On the MCAT, I understand that most of the Physical Sciences comes from biology/chemistry thermo, but what about Physics. I guess I am referring to those 3 specific chapters in Halliday Resnick's Physics Textbook that teaches about Kinetic Theory, Gases, and the Laws of Thermodynamics, and Engines (Carnot, Sterling) and PV diagrams....however, I am not sure about its applicability to the MCAT. Chemistry thermo on the contrary deals more along the lines with free energy, calorimetry, etc.....

Thanks guys.

In one of the MCAT threads from either July or early August, a couple posters mentioned that they had a passage on the Carnot cycle, so it gets tested.

Rather than going by the 2003 books, you should check out the AAMC site and get the "Essentials" document. That lists the topics in pretty good detail, although it has some ambiguity.