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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 6, Nothing but Music, The Essentials of Superstring Theory.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. According to general relativity, which of the following is said to warp or bend space-time?
(a) Gravity and electromagnetic fields.
(b) Constant, relativistic speed motion.
(c) Accelerated motion and gravity.
(d) Accelerated motion and orbital motion.

2. What property of electromagnetic waves did Max Planck solve the thermodynamic problem of the oven by discovering?
(a) They have a minimum energy, proportional to their frequency.
(b) There are infinite numbers of waves, but each has an infinitely small energy.
(c) Waves are really particles.
(d) They can penetrate or "tunnel" through any surface.

3. According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, if two objects have a gravitational pull on one another, and one changes its mass or distance from the other, how quickly does the effect of this change travel to the other object?
(a) Instantaneously.
(b) Near the speed of light, faster for lighter objects.
(c) At exactly the speed of light.
(d) Near the speed of light, faster for more massive objects.

4. Two theories form the basis of modern physics, but are incompatible with one another. String theory attempts to reconcile these fields. What are these two theories?
(a) General relativity and special relativity.
(b) General relativity and quantum mechanics.
(c) Quantum mechanics and the photoelectric effect.
(d) Gravity and general relativity.

5. What is the quantum, or messenger particle, of the weak force?
(a) The weak gauge boson.
(b) The up quark.
(c) The Higgs boson.
(d) The neutrino.

Short Answer Questions

1. Richard Feynman's "sum over paths" theory states that in the double-slit experiment, an electron behaves in what way?

2. What are the characteristics of a wave?

3. According to special relativity, which of the following is true about the passage of time for an observer moving near the speed of light?

4. How many dimensions did the tiny objects involved in the original statement of string theory have?

5. How are the amplitude of a string's vibration and the mass of the particle it represents related?

(see the answer key)

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