Complete Study Guide SAT Physics Subject Test

Complete Study Guide SAT Physics Subject Test SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Did you know that if you squeezed all the matter that makes up all the people in the world together, it could fit into the size of a sugar cube? That's because atoms are mostly made up of empty space between very tiny, very dense nuclei. If you're intrigued by the mind-blowing facts and figures of physics, you might be considering the SAT Physics Subject Test. This comprehensive guide will go over exactly what's on the test (don't worry, nothing about sugar cubes). It will also tell you where you can find the best SAT Physics practice tests, and the study tips and strategies you need to know to master the SAT II. There's a lot that we cover in this guide, so here's a table of contents so you can easily find the specific information you're looking for. Format of Physics Subject Test Types of Questions on Physics Subject Test Concepts Tested on Physics Subject Test Where to Find Practice Tests How to Study for the Physics Subject Test Test-Taking Tips When to Take the Physics Subject Test How Is the Physics Subject Test Formatted? The SAT II in Physics is 60 minutes long and asks 75 multiple-choice questions. Every question has five answer choices. There are some independent questions, while others are grouped and ask about the same graph or picture. Perhaps surprisingly, you can't use a calculator on the Physics Subject Test. With less than a minute for each question, the test doesn't present overly complicated math. There are three main types of questions, which are important to understand so you can know which skills to apply. Types of Questions on the Physics Subject Test The three types of physics questions are recall, single concept, and multiple concept problems. Recall questions make up 20% to 33% of the test. They are somewhat straightforward and test your understanding of the concepts of physics. This is an example of a recall question: Answer: E Single concept problems make up 40% to 53% of the test. In addition to recalling a concept, you have to apply a physical relationship, formula, or equation to solve a problem. These questions test your understanding of simple algebraic, trigonometric, and graphical relationships, along with concepts of ratios and proportions. Answer: E Multiple concept problems account for 20% to 33% of the questions. They have the extra step of asking you to recall and bring together two or more different relationships, formulas, or equations in order to solve a problem. Answer: A Now that we understand the format of the test, let's break down the content on the test even further so you know what to study for the test. As you'll see below, it focuses primarily on mechanics and electricity/magnetism. What Is Tested on the Physics Subject Test? According to College Board, the SAT II in Physics covers mechanics, electricity and magnetism, waves and optics, heat and thermodynamics, modern physics, and other miscellaneous concepts. Mechanics and electricity/magnetism questions make up over half the test. Let's look at how the test breaks down. Mechanics: 36% - 42% Kinematics, such as velocity, acceleration, motion in one dimension, and motion of projectiles Dynamics, such as force, Newton's laws, statics, and friction Energy and momentum, such as potential and kinetic energy, work, power, impulse, and conservation laws Circular motion, such as uniform circular motion and centripetal force Simple harmonic motion, such as mass on a spring and the pendulum Gravity, such as the law of gravitation, orbits, and Kepler's laws Electricity and Magnetism: 18% - 24% Electric fields, forces, and potentials, such as Coulomb's law, induced charge, field and potential of groups of point charges, and charged particles in electric fields Capacitance, such as parallel-plate capacitors and time-varying behavior in charging / discharging Circuit elements and DC circuits, such as resistors, light bulbs, series and parallel networks, Ohm's Law, and Joule's Law Magnetism, such as permanent magnets, fields caused by currents, particles in magnetic fields, Faraday's Law, and Lenz's Law Waves and Optics: 15% - 19% General wave properties, such as wave speed, frequency, wavelength, superposition, standing wave diffraction, and Doppler effect Reflection and refraction, such as Snell's Law and changes in wavelength and speed Ray optics, such as image formation using pinholes, mirrors, and lenses Physical optics, such as single-slit diffraction, double-slit interference, polarization, and color Heat and Thermodynamics: 6% - % Thermal properties, such as temperature, heat transfer, specific and latent heats, and thermal expansion Laws of thermodynamics, such as first and second laws, internal energy, entropy, and heat engine efficiency Modern Physics: 6% - % Quantum phenomena, such as photons and photoelectric effect Atomic, such as the Rutherford and Bohr models, atomic energy levels, and atomic spectra Nuclear and particle physics, such as radioactivity, nuclear reactions, and fundamental particles Relativity, such as time dilation, length contraction, and mass-energy equivalence Miscellaneous: 4% - 9% General, such as history of physics and general questions that overlap several major topics Analytical skills, such as graphical analysis, measurement, and math skills Contemporary physics, such as astrophysics, superconductivity, and chaos theory In addition to these concepts, you have to memorize certain formulas that express physical relationships, like F = ma. You have to be able to manipulate equations, read a graph, understand the metric system, and apply lab skills to answer questions. Is there anything you don't need to know? While this test is very comprehensive, there are a few things you don't have to worry about. You don't have to know trigonometric identities, calculus, three-dimensional vectors and graphs, or physical constants. The Physics Subject Test covers a great deal of content, and requires your ability to apply those concepts to manipulate equations and solve problems. Besides learning and studying in your physics class, what materials can you use to prep for the Subject Test? Where to FindSAT Physics Practice Tests You can prepare for the Physics test with high-quality practice questions in books and/or online. First,our book recommendations: Books Using official practice questions is always the best way to prepare for the SAT or SAT Subject Test. College Board currently only provides Physics practice questions in its All Subject Tests Study Guide. While the questions are high quality, because they come from a previously administered test, there is actually only one practice test to try out. Obviously, this is very limited, so you'll want to supplement with another book. You might try studying first with other books and then taking the College Board practice questions a week or two before the Subject Test to make sure you're ready. Because it's a previously administered test, it will be a good benchmark to predict how you'll score, and it can reveal any concepts you need to study last minute before test day. For a comprehensive overview of the concepts you need to know and high-quality practice questions to apply them, I recommend Princeton Review's Cracking the SAT Physics Subject Test. You can use this book throughout the year in physics class to review the concepts and make sure you can apply them to SAT Subject Test questions. One downside of Princeton Review is that the explanations can sometimes be confusing and difficult to follow. Barron's is also a good option with high-quality practice questions. However, some concepts are lacking, so don't rely on it to be completely comprehensive. Barron's would be best to use two to three months in advance of your Subject Test, after you've been reviewing in class and with Princeton Review throughout the school year. Finally, two other options are Kaplan and McGraw Hill, but they would be my last recommendation. Kaplan questions are too easy, so they won't be sufficient preparation. McGraw Hill questions have the opposite problem - some are way too complicated to solve without a calculator, and thus not accurate preparation for the SAT Subject Test. Besides books, you can also find SAT Physics questions online from these sources. Online Practice Questions You should definitely give College Board's 36 online practice questions a try. Make sure to thoroughly read the explanations of any questions you're unsure about or don't know. Then review the concepts, from your class or other test prep materials, and take notes and do practice problems to shore up your understanding. Varsity Tutors has a bunch of helpful practice questions broken up into subsets of concepts. These are a good way to really identify what you know and what you need to review. This similar site also has helpful practice questions that you can automatically score, along with some glossaries and study guides. Finally, Sparknotes, though it doesn't have practice questions, has an informative overview and glossary of terms. How to Prep Effectively for the Physics Subject Test Now you have a bunch of good resources for the Physics Subject Test, but how can you use them effectively to maximize your scores? This section goes over three key study tips to follow. #1: Use Class Material The Physics Subject Test is a challenging test. It covers a lot of material, and this material takes a significant amount of time to learn. Thus staying focused and up to speed in class is vital, as well as reviewing the concepts and practice problems frequently to retain your cumulative knowledge. As you go through your physics class, you should review your classwork in conjunction with a test prep book like Princeton Review or Barron's. Then you can really do more intensive test prep in the two to three months before the Subject Test. Make sure to do a practice test a couple weeks before the test to get a good sense of your preparation and fill in any last minute gaps in knowledge. While you're taking these practice tests, you should make sure to time yourself. #2: Time Yourself Physicist John Wheeler Archibald explained, "Time is what prevents everything from happening at once." With the Physics Subject Test, you might feel like everything is happening all at once because you don't have much time at all. Timing yourself while you take practice tests will help you with pacing and time management. As you strengthen your ability to answer questions quickly and efficiently, you'll both score higher and breathe easier that you have enough time to get to all the questions and answer them well. When you take a full-length practice test, give yourself exactly 60 minutes and sit in a quiet room with few distractions. The more you practice under simulated testing conditions, the more prepared you'll be on test day. Once you take the test, you want to score your questions actively and critically. #3: Analyze Your Answers Correcting your practice tests should be a very active process. By this I mean don't simply let a wrong answer or lucky guess go. Wrong or skipped answers are an opportunity to really analyze the questions, diagnose your weaknesses and misunderstandings, and figure out where you need more prep. If you get a question wrong, mark it down in a notebook. Figure out why it was wrong- did you not know the concept, misunderstand the question, or make a careless error? If the first, you should definitely go back in your notes and review. Then find practice questions that test those concepts. So much of the Physics Subject Test is about application, not just recall. If you didn't understand the question or made a careless error, you probably need to focus on your time management and ability to focus and work efficiently. Practicing under timed conditions, as mentioned above, is the best way to train this skill. Practice tests will reveal where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Each question is an opportunity to pinpoint what you know and what you need to study further. Remember important formulas, like this one. Test-Taking Strategies for the Physics Subject Test Besides getting ready through test prep, there are some strategies you should keep in mind while taking the Physics Subject Test that should help you boost your scores. #1: Know Your Formulas You can't bring a formula sheet with you when you take the Physics Subject Test. The test will give you some constants, but you have to know the formulas that express physical relationships. Note that you also can't bring a calculator into the test. While it might seem like there are a lot of formulas to remember, they will probably start to seem intuitive the more you understand the laws and concepts of physics. If there are any that you have a hard time remembering, it might be a good idea to jot these formulas down in your test booklet at the beginning of the test. This way you can refer back to them as you go along. Make sure you know your formulas as you're studying, as well as how to apply them to single concept and multi-concept problems. #2: Use Process of Elimination On the Physics Subject test, you lose 1/4 of a point for every question you answer incorrectly. If you can't eliminate any answer choices, you should leave the question blank and avoid a point deduction, but if you can eliminate at least one wrong answer, then you're better off making your best guess. Go through the answer choices and see which ones you can cross off as definitely incorrect. This may also jog your thinking in how to approach the correct answer. #3: Don't Dwell With 75 questions in 60 minutes, you have less than a minute to spend on each question. If one of them leaves you stumped, it's best to mark it, skip it, and return to it at the end of the exam if you have time. Remember, it's always a good idea to guess if you can eliminate at least one of the answer choices. But don't spend a disproportionate amount of time on a problem, as all problems count equally toward your ultimate score. #4: Read Critically Sure, this is the Physics SAT, not a critical reading test, but the same skills of close and critical reading apply. Make sure you understand exactly what the question is asking before rushing to answer it, and be on the lookout for words like EXCEPT, BUT, ALWAYS, NEVER, or any other superlatives or words that mark a shift in emphasis. The more you practice, the more calmly you'll be able to approach the questions and deploy these strategies. When Should You Take the SAT Physics Subject Test? You can take the Physics Subject test on the May, June, August, October, November, or December test dates. College Board recommends that you have at least one year of college prep Physics before taking the Subject Test, as well as courses in algebra and trigonometry and experience in the lab. The end of junior year is a common time to take the Physics test, but some students might feel prepared at the end of sophomore year. Either way, it's best to take the test at the end of the academic year when the course content is fresh in your mind. You might also be studying for a final, which will further reinforce your understanding. Remember, you can't take an SAT Subject Test on the same day as the SAT, but you can take up to three Subject Tests in one day. It might be smart to take the SAT first, so that your math studying can inform your physics prep. With these considerations in mind, the June test date would be an ideal time to take the Physics Subject Test. You can read about other considerations for scheduling your SAT Subject Tests and the full list of dates here. With your study plan and test schedule all planned out, you will be well prepared to show off your physics skills on the SAT Subject Test and add this impressive exam to your college applications. What's Next? Looking for study resources on some of these physics topics? Check out our guides to calculating acceleration, the law of conservation of mass, and the specific heat of water. What's a good score for an SAT Subject Test? Actually, what makes a good score depends on the test. Read about the good scores broken down by each Subject Test here. Are you preparing to take the PSAT? This article goes over everything you need to know for the redesigned PSAT, along with 8 free practice tests for you to start preparing. Do you consider yourself a math person? This 800 scorer explains his best strategies for getting a perfect score on the SAT math. Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below:

Chemistry in Life Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Chemistry in Life - Research Paper Example to remember is that all forms of money are collectively called as currency, which in turn refers to all the money coins and banknotes which are generally accepted and in wide use in the country to which it pertains. The currency of a country is its so-called legal tender that in turn implies the medium of payment recognized by the country’s legal system. Implication in a country having a legal tender means it is valid for meeting a financial obligation. In other words, a creditor (lender) is obligated to accept any payment made in legal tender towards the repayment of a debt owed by a debtor (borrower). A good but short example is when someone pays in American dollars then the lender cannot refuse to accept such payment since a dollar is the legal tender in America (although some states accept gold or silver coins as payment). If the borrower intends to pay in kind (like mineral ores or cocaine or cattle or something else), a creditor can refuse such payment since it is not co nsidered as legal tender and can be refused to be accepted to extinguish a debt, financial obligation or some other consideration. However, before coinage was invented, barter was used which is just a simple kind of exchange for one type of goods for another type of goods or resources. An example will be a person wants to buy a loaf of bread but lacking any money, he pays for it with a live chicken depending on their agreed value of exchange (there must be some semblance of parity). Most historians are generally agreed that coins were invented at around 700 B.C.E. (before current era) independently in Lydia (now a part of modern-day Turkey), in India, and in China. Barter is a form of direct exchange by which goods and services were exchanged for another set of goods and services without the benefit of using a medium of exchange (currency). Barter has a set of inherent problems such as the difficulty in determining the exact or accurate value of an intended exchange between two kinds of

Business Strategy of Ryan Air Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Strategy of Ryan Air - Case Study Example An Irish airline – it has its headquarters in Dublin and its biggest operational base is London Stansted Airport in UK. Ryanair has profited immensely due to the deregulation of the air industry in Europe in 1997and has undergone rapid growth to become on of the leading names in the industry. But its rapid expansion has been characterized by the numerous controversies and complaints about its functioning. In October 2006, Ryanair was voted the world's most disliked airline in a survey by the TripAdvisor website, and in November 2006, it was revealed as the subject of more complaints than any other airline in the EU. (Irish Examiner, 2006-11-28) But this aside, it has evolved into one of the most profitable low-cost airlines in the world. EasyJet, Monarch Airlines, Centralwings, Air Berlin etc. are the main low-cost competitors for Ryan Air. BUSINESS STRATEGY Business strategy or the long-term business plan is typically characterized by major resource issues or their allocations in an organization. there are two main categories of strategies that are usually followed by the companies ---- the Generic (general) strategies, and Competitive strategies. Some of the generic strategies are: a. Growth or the expansion of the company by purchasing new assets or developing new products. b. Globalization – Going international that is -- moving operations into more countries – becoming multinational companies. c. Retrenchment --- This is typically characterized by focusing on the core business by cutting down on ancillary plans. And some examples of Competitive strategies are : a. Lowering the prices. This is useful if the company is the market leader and can benefit from the advantages of producing large volumes of output such that the lower costs can be covered by more output. And the competitors are unable to match the lowered prices. b. Differentiation - that is position the company as providing something different from the other rivals. For e.g. The aviation industry. It is divided into two main segments --The low cost airlines such as Ryanair who offer low prices and fly on short routes without providing any special services and the high priced airlines such as British Airways that concentrate on differentiation. They offer better services to passengers such as more legroom, in flight entertainment, and more individualized attention. (Grassley, 2002) CURRENT STRATEGY OF RYANAIRAs per the official website of Ryanair, its main objective or mission is to become the Europe's leading low-fares scheduled passenger airline through continued improvements and expanded offerings of its low-fares service. (Ryanair Website). They are looking to increase their customer base by increasing their cost-effectiveness and operational efficiencies. The key elements of Ryanair's strategy are: Low Fares, Good Customer service, Frequent flights, Low operating costs, Internet advantage, Safety and Quality maintenance, Enhanced ancillary services. Basically, Ryanair is trying to achieve economies of scale by trying to increase its number of flights and keeping its planes in the air as frequently as possible in a 24 hour period. Its competitive advantage lies in its ability to keep low fares and provide frequent flights for point-to-point short distance routes. Ryanair sells seats on a one-way basis, thereby eliminating the minimum stay

Future Plan Essay Example for Free

Future Plan Essay Hi, my name is Alberto Bazan. I am eighteen years of age. This year, two-thousand-thirteen Im going tom graduate from Alief Hastings High School. Im going to enroll in a community college in fall for my basic course, and later transfer into a university. My majoring plan is to become a Petroleum engineer. Now that I have some type of experience in the oil field, where I started working after I turned eighteen. The important question is : why am I deciding to go to college? First of all, like some people in this world; love making. So I decided to first choose a career I would like, and would make good amount of money. Second reason is because without knowledge, Im not going to have open opportunities for high-payed jobs. Last but not least; I comprehend that college is very important at this point of our lifetime, because it would help my future in where I can live life without worries of not having the knowledge and skills to get a job. Now in days it is not easy obtaining any job where you can live without worries. From my point of view, I personally think Im not a person to be in school. So therefor, my experience in college can be very harsh at times. I might have ups and downs though out my future career. I know for sure Im going to struggle throughout college, but Im not going to give up in achieving my goals, and to finish my major. Thats why Im going to college!

mariah carey :: essays research papers

Mariah Carey is diva. Her hits have spanned two decades and have broken records long held by music heavyweights like the Beatles and one Elvis Presley. Her concerts have grown exponentially and she consistenly sells out venues across the globe. Her success has allowed her to throw millions and millions of dollars around as if it were petty cash. But she insists, she's still just a girl from New York. Mariah grew up on Long Island, daughter to hard working parents. Her father Alfred Roy, half Venezuelan, and her mother Patricia, Irish, instilled strong values in their baby Mariah. Life was tough for Mariah, but she kept her chin up. She worked her way through Oldfield Middle School and graduated Harborfield High School at 17, and one day later she moved to New York City. Mariah had stars in her eyes and an astounding voice backing up those dreams. She is known for an eight octave voice level, something nearly unparallel in the music industry. But, as anyone who's worked in the industry knows, talent doesn't always equal superstardom. But Mariah had a few other things going for her as well. She was able to grab a gig working as a backup singer for Brenda K. Starr, who was so impressed with Mariah's voice that she volunteered to pass along her demo tape. Starr passed it to Tommy Mottola, a musical mastermind, the man behind Sony Music and Columbia Records. Tommy loved it; and apparently loved her as well. The two wed in 1993. But before the couple exchanged nupitals, Mariah released her first album, a self-titled, heavily played smash success. The album would set into motion a number of the records Mariah was able to shatter during her career (most consecutive #1 singles, first female soloist to go straight to #1, a #1 hit in each year during the 90s). Her success was cemented with Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Female Vocalist. Mariah's ever-important sophomore album (which seems to make or break a number of artist - see Hootie & The Blowfish) failed to disappoint. "Emotions" had three big hits and sold quite well. "Music Box" would follow, along with "Daydream", "Butterfly", and "Heartbreaker." Apparently, the record companies are just as pleased as the American public.

“Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” Comedy Essay

â€Å"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes† is a 1953 Musical-Comedy released by 20th Century Fox, directed by Howard Hawks and starring Marilyn Munroe and Jane Russell; the two greatest sex symbols of the era. The camera’s point of view is that of the ‘male gaze’, where women are regarded as objects of fascination and the men are assumed to have a position of power. Hawks shows how it can be easily hijacked by females smart enough to control, manipulate and ultimately blur the ‘male gaze’. As much as this film is shot for the ‘male gaze’ it is as much for a female audience as it is for males. In the song-and-dance sequence, â€Å"When Love Goes Wrong†, the two female protagonist had just been expelled from the hotel by Gus. Though the situation for Lorelei and Dorothy should be one where they are left helpless and powerless the scene however displays the opposite. In the entire scene both female protagonist are captured front and center with close ups and the lighting on their faces is well defined which gives them a sense of importance and power. At the same time the men gather around them captivated, giving their undivided attention to the females as they sing and dance; giving them a position of control over the men. Their position of power is so prominent that they even get the admiration of young boys who seem to be gypsy’s. Gypsy’s are known to be quick, sharp and in control when it comes to stealing but in this scene their heads are turned by the sensual Lorelei and they are totally distracted. Bothe females are well aware of their manipulative powers as Dorothy encourages Lorelei to use her charms, saying, â€Å"Do it now, do it!† What appears to be submissive to the ‘male gaze’, in this scene however they put on a chow in exchange to negotiate their presence and have their voices heard in a dominantly male world. When the females are seated they appear to be two damsels in distress, however the movement of standing up represents liberty and the space they command when dancing communicates freedom and power. A melancholy moment turns to a vibrant and fun sing-and-dance where they reject the actions of men to have power over their emotions. Though the scene is shot in the view of the ‘male gaze’ the line is blurred when Lorelei and Dorothy use their sensual and attractive appearance to control, manipulate and command power in a dominantly male world. By this the scene takes a turn to cater to the female sight giving a sense of empowerment and independence in a situation where they should be the damsels in distress.

Speech At Passion By Christine Caine - 1657 Words

Christine Caine’s speech at Passion is geared toward ending modern-day slavery and sex trafficking, and she makes her argument through the rhetorical development of the Christian Identity. Caine seeks to encourage her audience to adopt Christian values to change communities around the world. In positioning herself as a Christian, Caine works to establish credibility by using the Bible, assuming her audience will find the embodiment of truth within her speech. Caine makes her argument without using any statistical information to center the focus of her argument on scripture. Through referencing this scripture and offering anecdotes, Caine’s position then becomes powerful by equipping her audience with the ability to become directly involved†¦show more content†¦This argument of an eternal presence working through people to generate change where there once was destruction is why Caine feels the Samaritan had compassion and so he went† to signify that someon e (Jesus) had once done the same act of compassion for him (Samaritan) (Caine, 8). This movement of showing compassion for those caught in the midst of destruction gives the Bible credibility in society today. Additionally, in assuming her audience will respond to her call to action, Caine uses a hypothetical response to her own argument. Through showing that â€Å"I m gonna take my little bit of light, and you re gonna take your light† Caine works to reassure her audience that this movement is all encompassing (Caine, 24). In constructing her argument, Caine uses scripture to appeal that this is not only herself making a call to action, but rather the church and man of Jesus himself making this argument to show â€Å"we are saved by grace for a purpose† to be disciples who make other disciples (Caine, 14). Using this scripture gives Caine more credibility towards her audience by assuring them of the principles of change she is presenting before them. This ideological tactic works to further establish the audience’s need to align themselves with the movement. Caine explains that â€Å"if we, together, would raise our voice, if we, together, would do something now† the audience would no longer feel that they do not have