Table of Contents
The Kaplan MCAT Review Team vi
Getting Started Checklist vii
Preface viii
About Scientific American ix
About the MCAT x
How This Book Was Created xxii
Using This Book xxiii
Studying for the MCAT xxvii
Chapter 1 Kinematics and Dynamics 1
1.1 Units 8
1.2 Vectors and Scalars 10
1.3 Displacement and Velocity 16
1.4 Forces and Acceleration 19
1.5 Newton's Laws 24
1.6 Motion with Constant Acceleration 26
1.7 Mechanical Equilibrium 33
Chapter 2 Work and Energy 49
2.1 Energy 56
High-Yield 2.2 Work 62
2.3 Mechanical Advantage 67
Chapter 3 Thermodynamics 85
3.1 Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics 92
3.2 Systems 96
High-Yield 3.3 First Law of Thermodynamics 98
3.4 Second Law of Thermodynamics and Entropy 106
Chapter 4 Fluids 119
4.1 Characteristics of Fluids and Solids 128
4.2 Hydrostatics 133
High-Yield 4.3 Fluid Dynamics 139
4.4 Fluids in Physiology 148
Chapter 5 Electrostatics and Magnetism 159
5.1 Charges 168
5.2 Coulomb's Law 170
5.3 Electric Potential Energy 174
5.4 Electric Potential 176
5.5 Special Cases in Electrostatics 178
5.6 Magnetism 184
Chapter 6 Circuits 203
6.1 Current 212
High-Yield 6.2 Resistance 216
6.3 Capacitance and Capacitors 225
6.4 Meters 231
Chapter 7 Waves and Sound 243
7.1 General Wave Characteristics 250
High-Yield 7.2 Sound 257
Chapter 8 Light and Optics 279
High-Yield 8.1 Electromagnetic Spectrum 286
High-Yield 8.2 Geometrical Optics 288
8.3 Diffraction 306
8.4 Polarization 311
Chapter 9 Atomic and Nuclear Phenomena 323
9.1 The Photoelectric Effect 330
9.2 Absorption and Emission of Light 334
9.3 Nuclear Binding Energy and Mass Defect 336
High-Yield 9.4 Nuclear Reactions 339
Chapter 10 Mathematics 357
10.1 Arithmetic and Significant Figures 364
10.2 Exponents and Logarithms 368
10.3 Trigonometry 373
10.4 Problem-Solving 376
Chapter 11 Reasoning about the Design and Execution of Research 391
11.1 The Scientific Method 400
High-Yield 11.2 Basic Science Research 403
High-Yield 11.3 Human Subjects Research 408
11.4 Ethics 412
11.5 Research in the Real World 416
Chapter 12 Data-Based and Statistical Reasoning 427
12.1 Measures of Central Tendency 436
12.2 Distributions 439
12.3 Measures of Distribution 442
12.4 Probability 447
12.5 Statistical Testing 449
High-Yield 12.6 Charts, Graphs, and Tables 451
12.7 Applying Data 460
Glossary 471
Index 481
Art Credits 493
