MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Flashcards: Demonstrate Understanding Scientific Concepts Principles

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on Demonstrate Understanding Scientific Concepts Principles, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for MCAT Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems.

How to use these flashcards

Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: What is the gravitational potential energy of a mass near Earth's surface?

Answer: $U = mgh$. Gravitational potential energy increases with height in Earth's field, based on work against gravity.

Flashcard 2: What is the ideal gas law relating pressure, volume, moles, and temperature?

Answer: $PV = nRT$. The ideal gas law connects macroscopic properties assuming non-interacting particles with negligible volume.

Flashcard 3: What is the first law of thermodynamics using internal energy, heat, and work (MCAT sign)?

Answer: $\Delta U = Q - W$. The first law conserves energy, accounting for heat added minus work done by the system.

Flashcard 4: What is the definition of pH in terms of hydronium concentration?

Answer: $\text{pH} = -\log[\text{H}_3\text{O}^+]$. pH quantifies acidity as the negative logarithm of hydronium ion concentration in solution.

Flashcard 5: What is the Henderson–Hasselbalch equation for a buffer?

Answer: $\text{pH} = \text{p}K_a + \log\frac{[\text{A}^-]}{[\text{HA}]}$. The Henderson-Hasselbalch equation relates buffer pH to acid dissociation constant and conjugate base-acid ratio.

Flashcard 6: What is the total capacitance of $2\ \mu\text{F}$ and $3\ \mu\text{F}$ capacitors in parallel?

Answer: $5\ \mu\text{F}$. Capacitances in parallel add, as they share voltage but combine charge storage.

Flashcard 7: What is the relationship between Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, entropy, and temperature?

Answer: $\Delta G = \Delta H - T\Delta S$. Gibbs free energy determines reaction spontaneity, balancing enthalpy and entropy at constant temperature.

Flashcard 8: What is the relationship between electric potential difference and work per charge?

Answer: $\Delta V = \frac{W}{q}$. Potential difference measures work done per unit charge moving between points in an electric field.

Flashcard 9: What is the SI base unit of force, expressed in base units?

Answer: $1\ \text{N} = 1\ \text{kg}\cdot\text{m}\cdot\text{s}^{-2}$. The newton derives from Newton's second law as the force accelerating 1 kg at 1 m/s², combining base units of mass, length, and time.

Flashcard 10: Identify the oxidation state of nitrogen in ammonium, $\text{NH}_4^+$.

Answer: $-3$. Nitrogen in ammonium balances +1 charge with four hydrogens at +1 each, yielding -3 for N.

Flashcard 11: Identify the oxidation state of oxygen in peroxide, $\text{H}_2\text{O}_2$.

Answer: $-1$. In peroxides, each oxygen has an oxidation state of -1 due to the O-O bond and overall neutrality.

Flashcard 12: What is the relationship between reaction quotient and nonstandard free energy change?

Answer: $\Delta G = \Delta G^\circ + RT\ln Q$. Nonstandard free energy incorporates reaction quotient to predict direction under varying conditions.

Flashcard 13: What is the relationship between equilibrium constant and standard free energy change?

Answer: $\Delta G^\circ = -RT\ln K$. Standard free energy change links to equilibrium constant, indicating reaction favorability at standard conditions.

Flashcard 14: What is Ohm's law relating voltage, current, and resistance?

Answer: $V = IR$. Ohm's law relates voltage drop to current flow through resistance in conductors.

Flashcard 15: What is the definition of electric field magnitude in terms of force and test charge?

Answer: $E = \frac{F}{q}$. Electric field represents force experienced by a unit positive test charge at a point.

Flashcard 16: What is the Coulomb's law expression for the magnitude of electrostatic force?

Answer: $F = k\frac{|q_1q_2|}{r^2}$. Coulomb's law describes attractive or repulsive force between point charges, following inverse square dependence.

Flashcard 17: What is the mathematical statement of Newton's second law?

Answer: $\sum F = ma$. Newton's second law states that net force causes acceleration proportional to mass.

Flashcard 18: What is the total resistance of $2\ \Omega$ and $3\ \Omega$ resistors in series?

Answer: $5\ \Omega$. Resistances in series add directly, as current flows through each sequentially.

Flashcard 19: What is the pH of a solution with $[\text{H}^+] = 1.0\times10^{-3}\ \text{M}$?

Answer: $3$. pH is the negative logarithm of hydrogen ion concentration, simplifying expression of acidity scales.

Flashcard 20: What equation defines density in terms of mass and volume?

Answer: $\rho = \frac{m}{V}$. Density quantifies mass per unit volume, fundamental for understanding material properties and buoyancy.

Flashcard 21: What is the relationship between work, force, and displacement for constant parallel force?

Answer: $W = Fd$. Work equals force times displacement when parallel, representing energy transfer in mechanical systems.

Flashcard 22: What is the wavelength of a photon with frequency $6.0\times10^{14}\ \text{Hz}$?

Answer: $5.0\times10^{-7}\ \text{m}$. Wavelength equals speed of light divided by frequency, as electromagnetic waves satisfy $c = f\lambda$.

Flashcard 23: What equation gives the capacitance of a capacitor in terms of charge and voltage?

Answer: $C = \frac{Q}{\Delta V}$. Capacitance indicates charge storage capacity per unit voltage across capacitor plates.