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MTEL Physics Test Breakdown

Scientific Inquiry has six subareas with a total of 14 to 16 questions.

1. Historical and Contemporary Contexts: applications in daily life, major theories, events and people, and the impact on society of scientific developments.
2. Scientific Theory and Scientific Processes: observation and experimentation, how hypotheses are formulated, ethical issues, experimental design, and the importance of communication in and from the scientific community.
3. Investigations: gathering, organizing, reporting and analyzing data, graphic representations, procedures and criteria for reporting, and the relationship between factors shown in the data.
4. Measurement and Mathematics: principles, procedures and analysis, measurement devices, devising equations and using graphing, trigonometry, vector analysis and calculus to analyze, model, and solve problems.
5. Interrelationships: impact of physics and technology on society, similarities and differences, design process, ethical issues, and the implications of applying scientific and technological decision-making processes in other areas.
6. Safety Procedures: proper use of equipment, materials and chemicals, principles of lab instruments, hazards, rules for using electricity, and procedures for responding to accidents and injuries.

Mechanics and Heat Energy has 11 subareas with a total of 27 to 29 questions.

1. Motion in One and Two Dimensions: term, units and equations, free falling objects, distance, displacement, speed, velocity and acceleration, graphic representation, and solve problems using algebra, calculus and graphing.
2. Forces: characteristics, identifying and measuring, experimental designs, gravitation and friction, and solve algebra problems involving these concepts.
3. Vectors and Trigonometric Functions: concurrent, parallel, resultant, equilibrant and component forces, and torque and solve problems using graphic solutions.
4. Motion and Momentum: characteristics of Newton’s laws of motion, conservation of momentum, implications of special relativity, and solve problems using these concepts.
5. Circular Motion and Simple Harmonic Motion: vector analysis, determining magnitude and direction, displacement, velocity and acceleration, and solving problems using these concepts.
6. Kepler’s Laws and the Laws of Universal Gravitation: geometric orbits of planets and their times of revolution, satellite motion, relationship of force, mass and the distance between masses, and solve problems using these concepts.
7. Energy: relationship of energy, work and power, conservation, mechanical systems and their advantages and efficiencies, and solve problems using these concepts.
8. Rotational Motion: torque, angular momentum, angular acceleration, rotational kinetic energy, center of mass, and moment of inertia.
9. Fluids: statics and dynamics, force, pressure and density, buoyancy and flotation, and use Bernoulli’s Principle and Archimedes’ Principle to solve problems.
10. First and Seconds Laws of Thermodynamics: temperature and heat, expansion and contraction, heat transfer, heat capacity, fusion and evaporation, and solve problems using these concepts.
11. Kinetic-Molecular Theory and Structure: relationship to thermodynamics; characteristics of solids, liquids and gases; and analysis of their behavior.

Electricity and Magnetism has five subareas with a total of 12 to 14 questions.

1. Electric Charge and Electric Fields: characteristics and units, potential and capacity, static electricity, Coulomb’s Law, field intensity, and solve problems using these concepts.
2. Electric Current and Electric Circuits: characteristics and components, conservation of energy and charge, resistance, schematics, and application of relevant principles.
3. Magnets, Electromagnets and Magnetic Fields: factors, effects and applications, strength, orientation, magnitude and direction of a charge, and practical uses of electromagnetism.
4. Electromagnetic Induction and AC Circuits: induced electromotive force, impedance and reactance, direction of current, transformers and generators, and application of relevant principles.
5. Conductors, Semiconductors and Superconductors: solid state diodes and zener diodes, NPN and PNP transistors, terminal connections, and principles and applications of the various conductors.

Waves, Sound and Light has five subareas with a total of 12 to 14 questions.

1. Waves and Wave Motion: types, characteristics, velocity, wavelength and frequency, and solve problems using these concepts.
2. Waves: reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference, polarization, dispersion and the Doppler Effect, applications for Snell’s Law, the superposition principle, and solve problems using these concepts.
3. Sound Waves: characteristics, nature, production and transmission, speed in various media, and solve problems involving resonance, harmonics and overtones.
4. Electromagnetic Waves: production, properties, components, and applications of the electromagnetic spectrum.
5. Lenses and Mirrors: principles, types, characteristics and practical applications, a ray diagram, and use equations to solve problems.

Quantum Theory and the Atom has four subareas with a total of 10 to 12 questions.

1. Photoelectric Effect, Quantum Theory and the Dual Nature of Light and Matter: principles and concepts, applying laws, analyzing bright-line spectra, and the emission of radiation related to lasers and masers,
2. Atomic Structure and Elementary Particles: historic and contemporary models; representations of elements, molecules, ions and isotopes; and design of particle accelerators.
3. Radioactivity: principles, types, characteristics, processes and disintegration, conservation of mass energy, decay, half-life, and types of radiation detectors.
4. Nuclear Reactions: types, characteristic, initiating, controlling and applications, components of a reactor, nuclear mass, common isotopes, and the issues of nuclear waste.

MTEL Physics Test Practice Questions