Which constants do we need to memorize..

[Chlost]

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...for the MCAT? Does anyone have a list, I don't want to waste any energy commiting useless constants to memory; thanks.

 

[MoosePilot]

...for the MCAT? Does anyone have a list, I don't want to waste any energy commiting useless constants to memory; thanks.

A lot of folks will say you don't need to memorize constants. The MCAT generally gives them to you.

I go by the rule of 7 Ps, "Poor prior preparation produces piss poor performance.", so I memorized some.

v sound = 343 m/s @ 20 deg. C, 1 ATM
h (Planck's constant) = 6.6 x 10^-34 J-s
F (Faraday's constant) = 96,500 C/mol
N sub A (Avogadro's #) = 6.02 x 10^23
R (universal gas constant) = .0821 L-ATM/mol-K
e (elementary charge) = 1.6 x 10^-19 C
specific gravity of water = 1000 Kg/m^3 or 1 g/cm^3
g = 10 m/s
G = 6.7 x 10^-11 N-m^2/Kg^2

You may know a lot of these from working with them everyday. I am non-trad, so didn't have all of them as close to the top as I did in college.

I fully anticipate the chorus of "BS, you don't need to know those, don't waste your time!". If you're pressed for time, I agree. If you have the time and the brainpower, having these in your head is insurance.

 

[stinkycheese]

I didn't set out to memorize any constants, but I ended up knowing g, G, e, and R by heart by the time it was test day just by exposure through practice problems. I do think it's helpful to have some at your fingertips. Then again, better to doublecheck the info they give you in a passage than to try and save time by barreling ahead with the constants in your memory... would suck to miss a question because they're asking for different units or because you're spitting out the wrong one at the wrong time.

I got an 11 on PS by the grace of g-d, so take my advice with a grain of salt... PS god I am not.