Download a free MCAT equation sheet with key physics and chemistry formulas. Learn how to memorize equations with Anki, units, and MCAT practice questions.
MCAT Equation Formula Sheet: Free PDF Download and How to Use It
The MCAT equation formula sheet linked in this guide brings many of the physics, general chemistry, and other quantitative relationships you may need during MCAT studying into one place. I think having a condensed equation reference can be extremely helpful because the difficult part of MCAT equations is not simply encountering them during content review. You eventually need to remember the important relationships without your book open, understand what the variables actually mean, recognize when an equation applies inside an unfamiliar passage, and perform the necessary calculations efficiently.
You can download the free MCAT equation formula sheet PDF here:
Download the free MCAT equation formula sheet PDF
I want to clarify something about this download from the beginning because accuracy matters when you are choosing MCAT resources. This PDF is a free MCAT study sheet and is not an official AAMC formula sheet. The AAMC publishes the official MCAT content outline and identifies equations and quantitative relationships throughout that outline, but this downloadable PDF is a separate study resource that collects formulas together for easier review.
You can see the official AAMC MCAT content outline here:
AAMC: What’s on the MCAT Exam?
I would use the free formula sheet as a convenient review tool and the AAMC content outline as the authoritative guide to what the exam expects you to understand. That distinction gives you the convenience of a condensed PDF without mistaking a community study resource for an official document.
My Experience With MCAT Equations and Anki
During my own MCAT preparation, MileDown was the Anki deck I relied on most heavily, and I also spent some time using JackSparrow when I wanted additional detail. One of the reasons MileDown worked well for me was that the cards were concise enough to keep active recall manageable while I still had time for practice questions, CARS, full-length exams, and detailed review of my mistakes.
That experience influences how I recommend learning MCAT equations. I would not sit down with a giant equation sheet and repeatedly reread the entire document, because recognizing an equation when it is sitting in front of you is very different from retrieving it during a question. I would use the sheet as a master reference, put the equations and relationships I actually needed to remember into an active-recall system such as Anki, and then use practice questions to make sure I knew when those equations applied.
MileDown itself contains an Essential Equations section, which is one reason this type of workflow fits naturally with the deck. If I were preparing again, I would still prefer short, manageable equation cards over turning every formula into an enormous flashcard containing the equation, explanation, derivation, units, examples, and every possible variation.
I learned from using both MileDown and JackSparrow that more information on a flashcard does not automatically make the review better. For equations especially, I would rather have several focused prompts that test different parts of the relationship than one exhausting card that takes several minutes to answer.
My complete MileDown guide is here:
MileDown MCAT Anki Deck: Download and Review
My JackSparrow guide is here:
JackSparrow MCAT Anki Deck: Download and Review
Is There an Official AAMC MCAT Formula Sheet?
The AAMC publishes a detailed What’s on the MCAT Exam? content outline, but students should not confuse that resource with a condensed formula sheet that will be handed to them during the exam. The official content outline identifies quantitative relationships throughout the science categories and makes clear that students are expected to determine and use scientific formulas while solving problems.
For example, the AAMC explicitly lists hydrostatic pressure as P = ρgh, the continuity relationship A × v = constant, Bernoulli’s equation, the ideal gas law PV = nRT, Boyle’s law, Charles’ law, Avogadro’s law, and other relationships within the fluids and gases content category.
The AAMC also includes optics equations and relationships within its light and sound content categories, along with equations throughout mechanics, electricity, circuits, waves, thermodynamics, and chemistry.
You can browse the official Chemical and Physical Foundations content here:
AAMC Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
This is why I would be cautious with any website claiming that one third-party PDF contains literally every equation guaranteed to appear on the MCAT. A good formula sheet can collect the major relationships you should know, but the official AAMC content outline should remain your reference when you want to verify the scope of tested material.
What Does the AAMC Expect You to Do With MCAT Equations?
The MCAT does not only test whether you recognize the letters in a formula. The AAMC identifies determining and using scientific formulas to solve problems as part of its Scientific Reasoning and Problem-Solving skill set, which means equations are tools you are expected to apply rather than vocabulary you simply memorize.
That difference is important because a question may never ask, “What is the continuity equation?” Instead, you could receive a passage about blood moving through vessels with different cross-sectional areas and need to recognize how velocity changes when area changes.
Another question might give you information involving pressure and depth without telling you that hydrostatic pressure is the relevant relationship. You need enough understanding to identify the variables, connect them to the appropriate physical principle, and determine how changing one quantity affects another.
This is why I would divide equation studying into three levels. First, you need to remember the equation or relationship. Second, you need to understand what every variable represents and how the variables relate to one another. Third, you need enough practice to recognize when that equation should be used.
A formula sheet is excellent for the first two steps, but practice questions are what make the third step reliable.
Download the Free MCAT Equation Formula Sheet PDF
You can access the free MCAT equation sheet I have collected here:
Free MCAT Equation Formula Sheet PDF
I would download or bookmark the PDF at the beginning of your Chemical and Physical Foundations review rather than waiting until the final week before your exam. Using it throughout your preparation gives you time to identify which equations become automatic and which ones continually disappear from memory.
I would also avoid treating every equation as equally difficult simply because it appears on the same sheet. You may remember F = ma immediately but repeatedly confuse relationships involving circuits, optics, fluids, or electrochemistry. Your study time should gradually shift toward the equations you actually struggle to retrieve or apply.
If you want my separate resource focused specifically on physics formulas, I also have a physics-specific equation sheet here:
AAMC MCAT Physics Equation Sheet Download
I would keep these two pages separate because they serve slightly different purposes. This page is the broader MCAT equation guide and study strategy, while the physics page is specifically organized around MCAT physics categories.
What Types of Equations Should You Know for the MCAT?
Most of the equation-heavy material appears in the Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems section, although quantitative reasoning can appear elsewhere on the exam as well. The AAMC organizes Chemical and Physical Foundations around physics and chemistry concepts that are applied to living systems rather than testing physics as an isolated undergraduate course.
Major categories include motion and forces, work and energy, fluids, electrostatics, circuits, electrochemistry, waves, sound, light and optics, atomic and nuclear behavior, gases, thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium, acids and bases, and other quantitative chemistry relationships.
This organization is helpful because memorizing equations by category is usually easier than trying to memorize one giant unstructured list. If several formulas describe fluid behavior, learning them together helps you see how pressure, area, velocity, viscosity, and flow relate to one another.
I would therefore organize your equation studying around concepts rather than alphabetically or according to the order formulas happen to appear on a PDF.
Motion, Forces, Work, Energy, and Power Equations
Mechanics includes some of the equations students are most likely to have encountered previously in introductory physics. These relationships cover motion, acceleration, force, work, kinetic and potential energy, momentum, power, torque, equilibrium, and related concepts.
I would not only memorize equations such as F = ma or the kinetic-energy relationship. Make sure you understand what happens when one variable changes, what the units should be, and whether the physical situation described in the passage actually allows you to use a particular equation.
For example, if a problem asks how kinetic energy changes when velocity doubles, you may be able to answer the question through proportional reasoning without plugging in a single number. Recognizing that velocity is squared can be much faster than performing a complete calculation.
That kind of reasoning is exactly why understanding equation structure matters.
Fluids Equations
Fluids are an especially important area to understand conceptually because the AAMC explicitly connects fluid physics with physiological systems such as circulation and pulmonary function.
The official AAMC content outline includes hydrostatic pressure, buoyancy, viscosity, Poiseuille flow, continuity, Bernoulli’s equation, the Venturi effect, and gas behavior within this category.
One relationship the AAMC explicitly lists is:
P = ρgh
Rather than memorizing four symbols, I would understand that hydrostatic pressure increases with fluid density, gravitational acceleration, and depth. If depth doubles while everything else remains constant, pressure due to the fluid column doubles.
The continuity relationship is another good example:
A₁v₁ = A₂v₂
When cross-sectional area decreases, fluid velocity must increase under the assumptions represented by the equation. Once you understand that relationship, many questions can be answered qualitatively before you ever start calculating.
You can see the AAMC’s official fluids content here:
AAMC MCAT Content Category 4B: Fluids and Gas Movement
Electricity and Circuit Equations
Electricity and circuits can feel equation-heavy because voltage, current, resistance, power, electrical potential energy, capacitance, and electric fields all have related formulas.
I would learn these relationships as a connected system instead of treating each equation independently. If you understand the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance, several other electrical questions become much easier to reason through.
Units are particularly helpful here. Volts, amperes, ohms, watts, coulombs, and joules can provide clues about what relationship the question is asking you to use.
If circuits are one of your weaker areas, I would spend more time answering questions than copying formulas. You want to recognize series versus parallel relationships, understand what happens when resistance changes, and know which quantities remain the same across different circuit configurations.
Waves, Sound, and Optics Equations
Waves and optics contain several equations that students often remember individually but have trouble connecting during passages.
I would understand the relationships among wavelength, frequency, and wave speed, along with the basic principles governing sound intensity, standing waves, refraction, mirrors, and lenses.
The AAMC explicitly includes the thin-lens relationship within its light and sound content:
1/p + 1/q = 1/f
The symbols are only the beginning. You also need to understand focal length, object distance, image distance, magnification, and the sign conventions used for different optical systems.
Whenever I study a formula involving a visual physical system such as a lens or circuit, I prefer pairing the equation with a simple diagram. That can make the relationship easier to retrieve because you are remembering what the system actually looks like rather than only a row of variables.
Gas Law Equations
The AAMC explicitly identifies several gas relationships, including the ideal gas law, Boyle’s law, Charles’ law, Avogadro’s law, partial pressure, and related concepts.
The ideal gas law is:
PV = nRT
The value of knowing the equation comes from understanding how pressure, volume, number of moles, and temperature relate under the ideal-gas model.
Boyle’s law emphasizes the inverse relationship between pressure and volume at constant temperature, while Charles’ law connects volume and temperature under the appropriate constant conditions.
I would make sure you pay attention to what is being held constant whenever you learn these relationships. Memorizing that pressure and volume are inversely related without remembering the conditions under which the relationship applies can create mistakes when the MCAT presents a more complicated scenario.
General Chemistry Equations
General Chemistry contributes many important quantitative relationships beyond the gas laws. Depending on how your formula sheet is organized, you may see equations involving equilibrium, acid-base chemistry, reaction kinetics, electrochemistry, thermodynamics, solution concentrations, and radioactive decay.
For every chemistry equation, I would connect the mathematical form back to the chemical meaning. If you are reviewing an equilibrium expression, understand what increasing or decreasing a quantity means for the system rather than only memorizing where concentrations appear.
The same principle applies to electrochemistry. Equations become easier to retain when you understand what voltage, free energy, equilibrium, and electron movement are telling you physically and chemically.
The more connections you build between equations, the less the MCAT feels like a test containing hundreds of unrelated formulas.
Does the MCAT Require Calculus?
No. The AAMC specifically states that an understanding of calculus is not required for the MCAT.
That does not mean the quantitative portions of the exam are trivial. The AAMC expects students to work with scientific notation, ratios, proportions, percentages, square-root estimates, exponentials, logarithms, dimensional analysis, basic algebra, and basic trigonometric relationships.
Students should also understand linear, semilog, and log-log graphs and be able to calculate slopes from information in figures, tables, and graphs.
The AAMC’s official mathematical concepts page is here:
AAMC General Mathematical Concepts and Techniques
I would review this page alongside your formula sheet because being able to manipulate an equation is often just as important as remembering it.
Is a Periodic Table Provided on the MCAT?
Yes. The AAMC states that a periodic table is provided during the exam.
That means I would not spend MCAT study time trying to reproduce an entire periodic table from memory. You still need to understand periodic trends, groups, valence behavior, and other chemistry concepts, but you do not need to memorize the location and atomic number of every element simply because chemistry appears on the test.
The AAMC confirms the provided periodic table on its mathematical concepts page:
AAMC Mathematical Concepts and Techniques
The broader principle is useful for studying in general. Do not spend hours memorizing information the exam already provides when you could spend that time learning relationships you actually have to retrieve.
Will You Get This Formula Sheet on MCAT Test Day?
No. The PDF linked in this article is a study resource that you can use before the exam.
The AAMC says that test takers receive a center-provided noteboard booklet and fine-point marker for notes and calculations. The allowed-items guidance also specifies what can be brought into the testing room, so you should prepare to work from your own knowledge and the information provided within the exam interface rather than expecting to bring a personal equation sheet.
You can read the current AAMC test-day guidance here:
I would therefore use the PDF during preparation until the important equations and relationships become familiar enough that you no longer need to constantly consult it.
How I Would Memorize the MCAT Equations With Anki
Because Anki was a major part of my own MCAT studying, this is how I would personally approach the formula sheet.
I would begin with one card asking me to produce the equation from the name or underlying concept. A hydrostatic-pressure card, for example, might ask for the relationship among fluid density, gravity, and depth.
I would then have another card that asks what happens when one variable changes. Instead of simply reproducing P = ρgh, the card might ask how hydrostatic pressure changes when depth doubles.
A third card could test the units or physical meaning of the variables if those were causing problems.
This prevents one enormous flashcard from trying to test everything simultaneously. The reviews remain fast, but you still test several different dimensions of your understanding.
That is the style that fits best with what I liked about MileDown during my own MCAT studying. Short cards let me keep moving while still repeatedly retrieving information.
Do Not Put the Entire Formula Sheet on One Anki Card
I would strongly avoid creating a card whose front says “Write every MCAT equation” and whose back contains an entire page of formulas.
That type of card becomes difficult to grade honestly. You may remember 90 percent of the equations, forget two, and then have no idea whether the card should be marked Again, Hard, Good, or Easy.
Smaller cards give Anki more precise information about what you actually know.
If circuit formulas are automatic but optics formulas are weak, Anki should be able to schedule those categories differently. One giant formula card prevents that from happening.
This is part of what I learned from comparing the shorter MileDown style with some of the longer JackSparrow cards. Comprehensive information can be valuable, but review becomes much easier to sustain when each card asks you to accomplish a reasonably focused task.
Learn the Units With the Equations
Units are one of the best tools you have for understanding and checking MCAT equations.
Suppose you forget the exact form of an equation during a question. Sometimes the answer choices and the required units can help you reconstruct the necessary relationship.
Dimensional analysis can also catch mistakes after you perform a calculation. If the question asks for energy and your final units resemble velocity, something went wrong before you even compare your numerical answer with the choices.
The AAMC specifically includes dimensional analysis and unit conversion in its mathematical expectations, which means this is not simply a physics-class trick. It is directly relevant to the way you should prepare for quantitative MCAT questions.
When making equation Anki cards, I would therefore add units when they are meaningful rather than memorizing only the algebraic relationship.
Learn Proportional Relationships, Not Just Full Equations
One of the highest-value skills you can develop is recognizing proportionality.
If an equation tells you that one quantity is proportional to the square of another, doubling that second quantity produces a fourfold change.
If two variables are inversely proportional, increasing one decreases the other.
If something depends on the inverse square of distance, doubling the distance changes the result by a factor of four in the opposite direction.
These relationships can save time because MCAT questions sometimes ask only how a quantity changes rather than requiring an exact numerical answer.
I would make separate Anki cards for proportional relationships that you repeatedly forget. That type of card can sometimes be more useful than reproducing the full equation because it tests the reasoning the question may actually require.
Make Sure You Can Rearrange the Equations
Students sometimes memorize an equation in exactly one orientation and then become uncomfortable when the question asks for another variable.
If you know:
V = IR
you should be comfortable solving for current or resistance without needing a separate memorized equation for each one.
The same principle applies throughout mechanics, fluids, optics, gases, chemistry, and other quantitative topics.
You do not need to memorize three versions of every simple algebraic relationship. Instead, practice rearranging equations until solving for another variable feels automatic.
This is also why the AAMC’s expectation of Algebra II-level quantitative reasoning matters. Formula memorization and algebraic fluency work together.
Practice Scientific Notation Without a Calculator
MCAT calculations are often designed so that a student who is comfortable with scientific notation and estimation can work relatively efficiently.
I would practice multiplying and dividing powers of ten, estimating square roots, simplifying ratios, and rounding numbers appropriately rather than relying on exact arithmetic during every practice problem.
For example, a problem may be much easier if you recognize that an answer should be on the order of 10³ rather than calculating several decimal places.
The AAMC explicitly identifies scientific notation, reasonable numerical estimates, proportions, ratios, percentages, and square-root estimation as mathematical skills students should understand.
This is another reason I would not treat your formula sheet as the entire quantitative study plan. Knowing the equation is only one part of being able to use it efficiently.
How to Know Which Equations You Are Actually Weak On
At the beginning of content review, almost every equation can feel unfamiliar, so a complete sheet is useful.
As you move into practice questions, your own performance should become a better guide.
If you repeatedly miss questions because you forget a particular optics relationship, mark that equation as weak and increase how often you actively retrieve it.
If you have used F = ma successfully dozens of times, it probably does not need the same study attention as a relationship you still confuse.
I like turning this into a simple three-category system: equations you know automatically, equations you recognize but cannot always retrieve, and equations you genuinely do not understand.
The second and third groups deserve your time.
Use Missed Questions to Build Your Personal Formula Sheet
One of the most effective changes you can make is turning the generic equation PDF into a personal resource.
Whenever you miss a quantitative question, identify whether the equation itself was the problem.
If you did not know which formula applied, mark it.
If you knew the formula but could not manipulate it, note that.
If you remembered everything but made an arithmetic mistake, your problem was not equation memorization and you should practice the calculation skill instead.
Over time, I would create a short personal formula sheet containing only the equations and relationships that continued to cause trouble.
During the final weeks of studying, that personalized sheet may be more useful than a giant comprehensive PDF because it reflects your actual weaknesses.
Pair the Formula Sheet With Full-Length Review
Full-length exams are one of the best places to determine whether your equation studying is working.
After each exam, review every quantitative question you missed and every one you guessed correctly.
Ask whether the problem came from not knowing the equation, not understanding the concept, misreading the passage, mishandling the algebra, making an arithmetic mistake, or choosing the wrong units.
Those categories require different solutions.
I created a free MCAT full-length review template specifically to help organize this type of error analysis:
MCAT Full-Length Review Template
If you notice three separate full-length questions involving fluids that all went poorly, that is much more useful information than simply telling yourself that you need to “review physics.”
You now know exactly where to focus.
Use the AAMC Topic List to Verify What You Are Studying
Whenever I am recommending a community-created resource, I like having an official source available to verify the scope of the material.
For the MCAT, that source is the AAMC content outline.
You can download and learn how to use the official outline here:
AAMC MCAT Topic List PDF Download and Guide
The AAMC outline organizes content by foundational concepts and content categories and identifies the kinds of quantitative relationships students may be expected to use.
If a random formula sheet contains an extremely specialized equation that you have never seen in Kaplan, UWorld, AAMC material, or the official content outline, I would investigate before devoting a large amount of time to memorizing it.
Comprehensiveness is useful, but endless low-yield memorization can become a distraction.
Formula Sheet vs. Kaplan Quicksheets
The formula sheet and Kaplan Quicksheets serve related but different purposes.
The equation sheet focuses primarily on quantitative relationships, while Kaplan Quicksheets summarize content across several MCAT subjects.
If you want a condensed final review of Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physics, and Psychology and Sociology, the Kaplan resource is broader.
You can access my Kaplan Quicksheets guide here:
MCAT Kaplan Quicksheets PDF Download
I would be comfortable keeping both resources available. Use the equation sheet when you are specifically reviewing formulas and use the Quicksheets when you want a broader content refresher.
Formula Sheet vs. MileDown Essential Equations
If you already use the MileDown Anki deck, you may wonder whether you need a separate equation PDF at all.
I think the two resources complement each other.
The PDF gives you a bird’s-eye view so you can see equations grouped together and understand which categories you have covered.
Anki handles repeated retrieval.
During my own preparation, MileDown was my main deck because I liked having short cards that could fit around the rest of my studying. If I were using this formula sheet alongside MileDown today, I would compare the two and create or edit cards only when the existing Essential Equations cards did not test something in a way that worked for me.
There is no benefit to creating duplicate cards simply because the same equation appears in two resources.
Formula Sheet vs. the Physics-Only Equation Sheet
AspiringMD currently has a separate physics equation resource, and I would keep both pages rather than merging them because the search intent is slightly different.
This article should remain the broader MCAT equation formula sheet guide, including chemistry-related quantitative relationships and a complete study method.
The physics article should focus specifically on categories such as mechanics, fluids, electricity, circuits, waves, sound, and optics.
You can access that page here:
MCAT Physics Equation Sheet Download
Keeping the distinction clear is also helpful when you are studying. If physics is the problem, use the focused sheet. If you want one broader quantitative reference, use this page.
Should You Memorize Every Equation on the Sheet?
I would know the major equations and relationships relevant to the official content outline, but I would not let a third-party PDF convince you that every line deserves exactly the same amount of memorization time.
Some equations become so intuitive through practice that you barely have to study them intentionally.
Others may appear less frequently but repeatedly cause problems for you.
The most useful study priority is usually the intersection between material the AAMC expects you to understand and material you personally have trouble applying.
If you have six months before your exam, you have plenty of time to build broad equation familiarity.
If you have three weeks remaining, I would focus much more aggressively on equations that actually appear in your practice mistakes.
Do You Need to Derive MCAT Equations?
You do not need to be able to reproduce a formal derivation of every equation from an undergraduate textbook.
However, understanding where a relationship comes from can make it much easier to remember.
If two equations can be combined to reconstruct a third relationship, knowing that connection may save you from memorizing another completely isolated formula.
The same is true for proportionality. Understanding why an inverse-square relationship behaves the way it does is more robust than memorizing four letters without any physical meaning attached to them.
I would therefore use derivations selectively. If understanding a short derivation makes the relationship finally make sense, learn it. If a lengthy derivation adds no practical understanding for MCAT-level questions, your time may be better spent elsewhere.
How Early Should You Start Memorizing MCAT Equations?
I would begin during content review rather than saving every formula for the final two weeks.
The advantage of starting early is that spaced repetition gets time to work.
You see the equation when learning the topic, retrieve it again several days later, use it in a practice question, forget part of it, review it again, and gradually develop a much stronger memory than you would get from cramming a sheet immediately before the exam.
A formula sheet can still be useful during the final week, but by then I want it to feel like a familiar summary rather than a document containing dozens of equations you are seeing for the first time.
An AAMC-published student profile describing a 523 scorer’s preparation specifically notes that condensed formula sheets were useful during the final week or two, while also emphasizing the importance of understanding how formulas work and when to use them rather than simply plugging in variables. That is very close to the way I think this resource should be used.
A Four-Week MCAT Equation Review Approach
If you have about a month remaining, I would not attempt to cram the full equation sheet in one sitting.
During the first week, identify the major categories and determine which ones are genuinely weak. Build or activate Anki cards for those equations and begin practicing scientific notation and unit manipulation.
During the second week, continue the reviews and pay close attention to equations that appear in practice questions. Any equation you repeatedly miss should move onto a short personal weakness list.
During the third week, shift toward mixed practice so you have to recognize equations without being told which chapter they belong to. This is much closer to the mental process required on the actual exam.
During the final week, I would review your short personal formula sheet rather than repeatedly rereading every equation you have already mastered. Keep practicing the relationships that still cause hesitation, but protect enough time for official AAMC questions and full-length review.
A Two-Month MCAT Equation Review Approach
With approximately two months available, you can move more gradually.
Learn equations alongside each content-review chapter and immediately begin using them in related practice questions. Add short Anki cards so you are repeatedly retrieving the relationships as you move into new subjects.
After the first several weeks, stop organizing all of your quantitative practice by topic. Mixed questions force you to decide whether the problem involves mechanics, fluids, circuits, gases, equilibrium, optics, or another concept without the chapter title giving you a clue.
During the final few weeks, allow AAMC practice and full-length results to determine which formulas remain on your priority list.
This is much closer to the approach I would use if I were preparing again because it combines the efficiency I liked from MileDown with the application practice that an equation deck cannot provide by itself.
The Biggest Mistake I Would Avoid With an MCAT Equation Sheet
The biggest mistake is feeling productive because you recognize everything on the page.
Recognition can be misleading.
Cover the equation and reproduce it.
Explain what the variables mean.
Describe what happens when each variable increases.
State the units.
Then answer a question where nobody tells you which equation to use.
If you can do all of those things, the equation is probably becoming useful knowledge rather than familiar-looking text.
This distinction applies to Anki as well. If the surrounding words of a cloze card always give away the answer, edit the card until it actually requires retrieval.
Another Mistake: Memorizing Without Understanding Units
Students sometimes treat units as an afterthought because they are focused on remembering the equation itself.
I would learn them together.
Units can tell you whether an answer makes physical sense, help you reconstruct relationships, and occasionally allow you to eliminate answer choices without completing the entire calculation.
The AAMC explicitly expects students to use metric units, conversions, and dimensional analysis.
That makes units part of your equation preparation rather than optional decoration.
Another Mistake: Spending Too Long on Exact Arithmetic
The MCAT is not primarily testing whether you can perform tedious arithmetic with perfect decimal precision.
If the answer choices are separated by orders of magnitude, an intelligent estimate may be all you need.
Practice converting numbers into scientific notation, simplifying powers of ten, and rounding to values that are easy to manipulate.
This can make a calculation that initially appears intimidating much more manageable.
I would practice these techniques throughout content review instead of waiting until full-length exams reveal that calculations are slowing you down.
Another Mistake: Ignoring Equations Because Physics Is a Small Part of the Exam
I would not make the opposite mistake and assume equations matter only for a handful of standalone physics questions.
The Chemical and Physical Foundations section integrates physical and chemical principles with biological systems, which means a quantitative relationship may appear inside a passage about circulation, respiration, experimental equipment, molecules, energy, or another medically relevant context.
The AAMC specifically describes physical processes in organisms as phenomena that can be modeled using equations.
That integration is part of what makes MCAT physics different from a traditional undergraduate physics final.
You need the equation, but you also need to recognize it when the surrounding passage looks like biology.
Frequently Asked Questions About the MCAT Equation Formula Sheet
Where can I download the free MCAT equation sheet?
You can download the free PDF here:
Download the MCAT Equation Formula Sheet
I recommend saving a copy for your own studying so you can annotate it and mark the equations you personally struggle with.
Is this an official AAMC MCAT formula sheet?
No. This is a free MCAT study resource collected for convenient equation review, not an official AAMC formula sheet.
For official information about what the exam tests, use the AAMC content outline:
Does the AAMC give you a formula sheet during the MCAT?
You should not plan on receiving this personal study sheet during the exam. The AAMC provides test-center materials such as a noteboard for notes and calculations, while the official content outline identifies quantitative relationships students are expected to understand.
Is a periodic table provided on the MCAT?
Yes. The AAMC states that a periodic table is provided during the exam, so your chemistry preparation should focus on understanding how to use periodic information rather than memorizing the entire table.
Do I need calculus for the MCAT?
No. The AAMC specifically states that calculus is not required.
You should instead be comfortable with algebra, ratios, proportions, percentages, scientific notation, logarithms, estimates, basic trigonometry, and dimensional analysis.
Do I need to memorize physics equations for the MCAT?
You should know the major physical relationships identified by the AAMC and be able to apply them. Some information may occasionally be supplied within a passage or question, but I would not build a study strategy around expecting the exam to give you every equation you need.
Do I need to memorize chemistry equations too?
Yes, several quantitative chemistry relationships are relevant to MCAT content, including gas laws, equilibrium, acids and bases, electrochemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, and other areas.
That is one reason this broader formula page should remain separate from my physics-only equation resource.
Is the MCAT equation sheet enough for physics content review?
No. An equation sheet is a reference and memorization tool, not a replacement for learning physics.
You still need to understand the concepts, recognize when formulas apply, and answer passage-based questions.
Should I use Anki to memorize MCAT equations?
I would. Anki was a major part of my own MCAT preparation, and I think equations fit particularly well into short active-recall cards.
Keep each card focused and test equations, proportional relationships, units, and common points of confusion separately when necessary.
What MCAT Anki deck has equation cards?
MileDown contains an Essential Equations section and was the primary Anki deck I personally used during MCAT preparation.
You can download and read my complete MileDown review here:
Should I memorize every formula in one day?
I would not. Spreading equation review across several weeks gives you repeated retrieval and enough practice opportunities to see how the formulas are actually used.
Cramming can create temporary familiarity without reliable long-term recall.
Should I write equations repeatedly?
Writing can help some students, particularly when combined with retrieval. I would cover the formula, reproduce it from memory, check it, and then work through a question using it rather than copying the same visible equation twenty times.
How can I remember which equation to use?
Practice mixed problems and connect equations to concepts rather than memorizing isolated letter combinations.
When you learn hydrostatic pressure, for example, connect it to fluid depth and density. When you learn the continuity equation, connect it to changing cross-sectional area and fluid velocity.
Should I memorize units?
Yes. Units help with dimensional analysis, answer checking, and understanding what an equation physically represents.
The AAMC specifically identifies dimensional analysis and metric-unit manipulation as relevant mathematical skills.
Should I memorize constants?
Know the commonly used constants and relationships emphasized in your MCAT resources, but prioritize understanding how they are used rather than trying to memorize every physical constant you could encounter in an undergraduate textbook.
Use practice questions to identify which constants you actually need to retrieve repeatedly.
Can a formula sheet improve my Chem/Phys score?
A formula sheet can help you organize and retain quantitative content, but simply downloading one will not improve your score.
The benefit comes from repeatedly retrieving the equations, understanding their relationships, and practicing their application until you can identify the appropriate approach inside an unfamiliar passage.
Final Thoughts: How I Would Use This MCAT Equation Sheet
I think the best way to use an MCAT equation sheet is as a starting point that gradually becomes personalized around your weaknesses.
At the beginning of studying, download the complete PDF and use it to see the scope of the equations you are going to encounter. As you review Physics and Chemistry, connect each relationship to the underlying concept and begin retrieving the important ones through Anki or another active-recall method.
During my own MCAT preparation, I primarily used MileDown and also spent some time with JackSparrow. MileDown worked particularly well for me because the cards were manageable enough to remain one part of my studying rather than taking over the entire schedule, while JackSparrow showed me the value of additional depth but could sometimes feel much more strenuous to review.
That experience is why I would approach equations the same way. I would rather have short, targeted cards for the formulas I genuinely need to retrieve than build one enormous equation card or spend hours rereading a PDF. I would then use the time I saved for the part that matters just as much: solving actual MCAT questions.
As practice questions and full-length exams begin exposing your weaknesses, mark the equations you forget, the relationships you confuse, and the units that repeatedly create problems. Gradually turn the generic formula sheet into a short personal list of the things you still need to fix.
By the final week or two before your exam, the complete equation sheet should look familiar. Your attention should be going toward a much smaller collection of relationships that still require active review, while the equations you have successfully used dozens of times need very little additional attention.
Most importantly, do not judge your progress by whether you can stare at the formula sheet and recognize every equation. Cover it and retrieve the relationship yourself, explain what the variables mean, predict how the output changes when one variable changes, check the units, and apply it in a passage.
That is the level of equation knowledge that becomes useful on the MCAT.
You can download the free MCAT equation formula sheet here:
Download the Free MCAT Equation Formula Sheet PDF
You can compare it with my physics-specific equation resource here:
You can use the official AAMC content outline to verify the topics you are studying here:
AAMC MCAT Topic List and Content Outline
If you want more free MCAT study resources, including Anki decks, review documents, spreadsheets, practice resources, and content tools, I keep all of them together here: