UNIT 16: NUCLEAR PHYSICS

Nuclear Physics is a focused but exam-relevant chapter within the 20% Physics allocation of your 36-question paper in MDCAT.

What this chapter covers:

• Composition of atomic nuclei
• Spontaneous and random nature of nuclear decay
• Half-life and rate of decay
• Biological and medical uses of radiation

This chapter blends conceptual understanding with numerical problem-solving, requiring familiarity with nuclear notation and decay mechanisms alongside comfort applying formulas like lambda = 0.693 / T half-life. Given the mix of definition-based recall and calculation, it spans the easy-to-moderate range, with some numerical applications reaching moderate difficulty in line with the PMDC’s 70% moderate weighting.

Why this practice set helps:

• Covers every subtopic the PMDC curriculum identifies, plus the supporting concepts textbooks present alongside them
• Every question includes a full explanation of why the correct answer is right and why each other option is wrong
• Built to help you learn faster than passive reading, with nothing the exam may draw from left untouched

Work through this set attentively, and you build both the conceptual precision and calculation confidence this chapter demands.