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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the follow best describes a boson?
(a) A particle of energy, a messenger particle for a force.
(b) A particle of matter.
(c) The supersymmetric version of a proton.
(d) The super-partner of a proton.

2. Which of the following is true regarding the mass and spin of a pair of superpartners?
(a) They have the same mass and spin.
(b) They have the same mass, and their spins differ by 1/2.
(c) They have unrelated masses, and their spins differ by 1.
(d) Their masses and spins are not related.

3. Which of the following theory was NOT developed in order to try to resolve the conflicts between quantum mechanics and general relativity?
(a) Quantum electrodynamics.
(b) Inflationary theory.
(c) Superstring theory.
(d) Quantum field theory.

4. The wave-like nature of the electron means that after a collision, _____.
(a) The electron will disperse into a wave of energy.
(b) The electron can never be located again.
(c) The electron has a range of possible locations.
(d) The electron will double in frequency.

5. Which of the following is a correct statement, based on the theory of special relativity?
(a) Time and space are not experienced exactly the same by all observers
(b) Time is always the same to all observers, but space is not.
(c) Energy only exists relative to mass.
(d) Movement can only be measured relative to very massive objects, such as stars.

6. What type of motion cannot be felt or sensed by the moving observer?
(a) Accelerating movement.
(b) Constant-velocity movement.
(c) Slowing or decelerating movement.
(d) Orbital movement around a star.

7. What is the Planck tension?
(a) The vacuum-energy of a matter and anti-matter string pair.
(b) The attraction felt by a string through the strong force.
(c) The typical tension in a string.
(d) The pull between strings at the Planck length.

8. Quantum physics began with the study of the energy inside a heated, closed container, such as an oven. The problem with theories at the time was that they predicted that _____.
(a) The oven contains no energy.
(b) The oven can store more energy the smaller it is.
(c) The oven contains infinite energy.
(d) The oven can only store energy if it has no mass.

9. Why are the fluctuations that quantum physics predicts not observable in everyday life?
(a) Most fluctuations are canceled out by electromagnetic waves, like light.
(b) On large scales, the effects cancel each other out.
(c) The fluctuations only occur in deep space.
(d) The human brain filters them out.

10. What discovery about string theory triggered the "superstring revolution"?
(a) Einstein announced that it exactly matched his formulas for general relativity.
(b) It was experimentally confirmed at Fermilab in the US.
(c) Its approximate equations were solved for the first time.
(d) It was found to encompass the four fundamental forces of matter.

11. Which of the following is correct about the speed at which light moves?
(a) Its speed depends on the observer.
(b) It moves at a constant speed for all observers.
(c) It moves faster at higher energy levels.
(d) It moves at a constant speed only near a gravitational field.

12. According to general relativity, all objects that have mass have what effect on space-time?
(a) They warp space-time around them.
(b) They stretch space-time for other very distant objects.
(c) They tear space-time when they travel at near-light speeds.
(d) They fold space-time as they move past one another.

13. What characteristic of the string determines the properties of the particle it represents?
(a) Its length.
(b) Its frequency of vibration.
(c) Its mass.
(d) The number of other strings with which it is threaded.

14. In 1968 it was discovered that protons and neutrons are composed of which type of particle?
(a) Neutrinos.
(b) Muons.
(c) Baryons.
(d) Quarks.

15. The first version of string theory did not include any particles of _____.
(a) Messenger particles.
(b) Bosons.
(c) Fermions.
(d) Gravitons.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which of the following was the first string theory?

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

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

4. Which of the following is true regarding experimental confirmation of string theory?

5. Einstein's equation, E=mc^2, states that which of the following are equivalent?

(see the answer keys)

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