View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the unit of measurement for particle energy?

2. Most people believe that since the universe had a beginning it must have a what?

3. A black hole results from a large star using up what type of fuel?

4. What is one of the categories of force-carrying virtual protons?

5. When was the uncertainty principle developed?

Short Essay Questions

1. What determines whether a star can become a black hole?

2. Why do scientists think that there is a black hole in the star system Cygnus X-1?

3. What is the uncertainty principle?

4. Why do physicists of Stephen Hawking's caliber not make assumptions about the nature of the universe?

5. In 1687 Newton published mathematical formulas that do what?

6. What is one way that scientists determine that subatomic particles exist?

7. What are some characteristics of a black hole?

8. Due to the influences of mass and energy, light does what?

9. What is one implication of the theory of relativity?

10. Scientists start with observations and mathematics to answer the fundamental questions and then do what?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is Hawking's definition of a scientific theory? Using this definition, discuss why (or why not) various theories in the book are scientific theories. Discuss at least three theories and use the book to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Hawking often compares and contrasts science and God. Using examples from the text: What is the purpose of comparing and contrasting science and God?

Essay Topic 3

What is a simile and metaphor? Why does Hawking use similes and metaphors in his book? Using examples from the book, discuss which simile and metaphor are the most effective and why.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 488 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample