Light & Optics on the MCAT: Snell’s Law, Total Internal Reflection, Thin Lens Equation
Light & Optics on the MCAT: Snell’s Law, Total Internal Reflection, Thin Lens Equation  
Podcast: Jack Westin MCAT Podcast
Published On: Tue Feb 10 2026
Description: Light and optics show up everywhere on the MCAT, especially when physics meets biology (vision). In this Jack Westin MCAT Podcast episode, Mike and Molly break down the must-know foundations of light as a wave and how it behaves in optical systems so you can stop memorizing and start solving.You’ll learn:🌈 Light as a transverse wave and why it can travel in a vacuum🧮 The wave equation v = fλ and what actually changes when the medium changes🪞 Reflection basics: the law of reflection and the “angle is measured from the normal” trap💧 Refraction and why light “bends” when its speed changes📐 Snell’s Law (n₁sinθ₁ = n₂sinθ₂) and how to reason through relationship questions🔁 Total internal reflection + the critical angle (and real-world examples)🔍 Lenses vs mirrors, concave vs convex, and what “converging vs diverging” means👀 Real vs virtual images, and the high-yield patterns (SUV for diverging systems)🧾 The thin lens equation and magnification (and how to use them on test day)Watch next: Vision and the Eye (how optics becomes biology) in the next episode.Want to learn more? Shoot us a text at 415-855-4435 or email us at podcast@jackwestin.com! 📱📌 Free Academic Advising: https://calendly.com/academic-advising-4/jack-westin-academic-advising?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast💻 Try our Chrome Extension (video solutions to every AAMC passage) https://tinyurl.com/4jw5pad8📚 Free Resources: https://jackwestin.com?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🎓 Live Education Sessions: https://jackwestin.com/sessions?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👨🏻‍🏫 Courses: https://jackwestin.com/courses?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast🙋 Tutoring: https://jackwestin.com/services/live-online-mcat-tutoring?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast📸 Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackwestinmcat?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast👥 Join our Facebook Study Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freemcatprep?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast