I understand why Physics is on the MCAT Exam
Isabella Bencosme
Award: Top 100
Award: Honorable Mention for Social Awareness
School: sleepy hollow high school
Teacher: leila madani
Category: Contrived
Photo #21088
I understand why Physics is on the MCAT Exam
This image highlights how components of physics enable vital biomedical research through the use of a centrifuge machine. Centrifugation is the technique that has separated this blood sample by spinning it around a fixed axis. According to the principle of sedimentation, when gravitational force overcomes buoyancy and the drag forces acting on the particles of the blood, the samples' components are separated based on density, mass, and particle size. Electrical potential energy was converted into rotational kinetic energy, and what once appeared uniform has become distinctly layered, with the denser red blood cells settling beneath the lighter plasma.
In order to effectively utilize a centrifuge machine, researchers must consider how two rotors with different diameters running at the same rotational speed (rpm) will generate different accelerations and subsequent gravitational forces acting on the sample. This rotator maintains a fixed 45-degree angle, allowing a clearer separation of the blood's fluid and plasma, whereas a smaller angle would result in a less distinct separation of the blood's components. Moreover, the Relative Centrifugal Force (RCF), or "G-force, " measures the strength of the centrifugal field in multiples of the Earth's gravitational force. Scientists, like my mom, who is an oncology pathologist, actively use the formula RCF = 1.12 x Radius x (rpm/1000)2 to calculate this, demonstrating a direct relationship between force and distance from the axis.
Together, these principles transform a simple blood sample into critical diagnostic information, underscoring the essential role of physics in conducting vital clinical research.
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