Physics - MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems

Sound is a longitudinal wave, while light is a transverse wave. Polarization requires the direction of the wave to be perpendicular to the direction of propogation; only light can do this. Doppler effect, refraction, and interference occur in both wave types.

The speed of sound is dependent on the temperature of the transmitting medium. The speed of light is not.

The speed of sound depends on both the medium’s density and resistance to compression. We do not have enough information to solve for V2 in terms of V1.

Using the equation we can find the frequency of the soundwave.

Conservative forces are forces that do not lose energy to heat, sound, or light. Of these answers, energy is completely conserved and transferred from kinetic energy to potential energy, or vice versa. Gravitational forces, electrostatic forces, and elastic forces all work by providing a potential that will work in the same direction as the motion of an object or particle, allowing kinetic and potential energy to interconvert. Frictional forces lose energy as heat when sliding across a surface, and the more force (the more rough the surface), the more energy that is lost.

Friction is a non-conservative force, meaning that the work it does depends on the path taken by the object. For example, moving a brick in a long zig-zag across the table will generate more heat from friction than moving it in a straight line across the table.

Electric and gravitational forces are conservative. This can be tested by knowing a constant equation to calculate the energy associated with these forces; such equations are applicable regardless of path. No such equation exists for frictional energy.

The image distance for a plane mirror is always equal to the object distance because the magnification is 1.

If the object and image are the same distance from the mirror and magnification is 1, then as the object approaches the mirror at a certain speed, the image is approaching the plane mirror at the same speed, therefore you approach the image more quickly than you approach the mirror, since you travel 5m/s toward the mirror and the image travels 5m/s toward the mirror.

This question deals with an application of optics. In this case we have a farsighted person and a near sighted person. The farsighted person would use a convex lens, which is a converging lens. This would allow all of the rays of light to converge on a single point, allowing them to heat the object up and start a fire. Wendy’s glasses are diverging lenses, which would cause the rays to separate.

This asks us to understand the vector components of velocity. Remember that the final velocity is the hypotenuse of a triangle (solved to be 10m/s in the previous problem), and that by knowing the hypotenuse value we can solve for the horizontal component by using cosine.

vx = (10m/s)(cos(45o)) = 7.1m/s

This question also asks us to understand the vector components of velocity. Remember that the final velocity is the hypotenuse of a triangle, and that by knowing the hypotenuse value (solved as 10m/s in a previous problem) we can solve for the vertical component using sine.

vy = (10m/s)(sin(45o)) = 7.1m/s

This question forces us to combine two equations.

Using substitution, we can solve for the electric field with the variables given in the question stem.

A decrease in pressure means a decrease in gas particle collisions. The only option that would not cause a decrease in collisions is adding moles of a different gas. Even though different molecules are added, there will be greater pressure as particle collisions will be more frequent.

Reducing temperature slows the gas particles, thus decreasing the frequency of collisions. Similarly, increasing the volume of the container and removing particles will cause a decrease in collisions, and subsequent pressure.

The electric field inside a charged spherical shell is always zero.

Without an additional force acting in the horizontal direction during flight (we are told we can neglect air resistance), there is no acceleration. Remember that Newton's second law, F = ma, requires that a force act on an object to produce acceleration. Here, we have no additional force and thus no acceleration.

Both the length of the pendulum's string and the angle of displacement affect the maximum velocity of the pendulum. Increasing the length of the pendulum's string and increasing the angle of displacement both increase the distance the pendulum must travel in a single period, increasing its potential energy at its maximum height, and therefore the maximum velocity at its lowest point.

The key to answering this question is to recall the following important formula for a simple pendulum: .

Measurements of real gases deviate from ideal gas predictions because intermolecular forces and the volume of the particles themselves are not taken into consideration for ideal gases. The volume of the space between particles is considered for ideal gases and does not contribute to deviation from ideal gas behavior.

Attraction between molecules causes real pressure to be slightly less than ideal pressure, while the volume of gas particles causes real volume to be slightly greater than ideal volume.

Given Coulomb's Law electrostatic forces:

We can see that distance and force are inversly related. Also distance is squared, so if we increase the distance by 2, the force between the two charges will be reduced by a factor of four.

According to the shell theorem, a charged spherical shell can be treated as a point charge at the center of the spherical shell. The equation for the electric field of a point charge is:

In this case, since we are at a distance of from the surface of the shell and therefore away from the shell's center. Plug into the equation for electric field.