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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Richard Feynman's "sum over paths" theory states that in the double-slit experiment, an electron behaves in what way?
(a) It follows a unique path every time.
(b) It follows all possible paths at the same time.
(c) The sum of all possible frequencies describes the frequency of the final path taken.
(d) It follows the same path every time.

2. Which of the following is NOT an actual version of string theory?
(a) Fermionic type IV theory.
(b) Heterotic type O(32) theory.
(c) Type I theory.
(d) Type IIA theory.

3. What is the fundamental force responsible for keeping the nucleus of an atom "glued" together?
(a) Gravitational force.
(b) Potential electrical force.
(c) The nuclear-strong force.
(d) Quantum-tunneling force.

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

5. When the distance between two objects is doubled, what happens to the strength of the gravitational pull between them?
(a) It is unchanged.
(b) It diminishes to one-fourth its original value.
(c) It quadruples.
(d) It diminishes to one-half its original value.

6. 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) Superstring theory.
(c) Quantum field theory.
(d) Inflationary theory.

7. What is the shape of all particles, at the smallest possible level, according to string theory?
(a) A thread of thin strings.
(b) A tangled ball of thin filament.
(c) A one-dimension loop.
(d) An infinitely long string.

8. Quantum chromodynamics concerns quantum mechanics and ____.
(a) The electromagnetic force.
(b) Gravity.
(c) The strong force.
(d) The weak force.

9. Black holes are dense and massive cosmological bodies. What unique distinction do they have?
(a) They are the only types of stars that can produce uranium and heavier elements.
(b) Light cannot escape their gravitational well.
(c) Neutrinos always flow towards them.
(d) They are the only objects that emit gamma rays.

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

11. According to Newton's law of gravity, the strength of the pull between two objects depends on what factors?
(a) Their densities and the strength of the gravitational field they occupy.
(b) Their masses and potential energies.
(c) The distance between them and their average atomic numbers.
(d) Their masses and the distance between them.

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. Which of the following is not one of the four fundamental forces of the universe?
(a) The electromagnetic force.
(b) The nuclear-weak force.
(c) The photoelectric force.
(d) Gravity.

14. What does the quantum electroweak theory state about the two fundamental forces it describes?
(a) At extreme energy and temperature conditions, they become the same thing.
(b) They are identical at quantum scales.
(c) In four-dimensional space, they are the same thing.
(d) They only interact at the Planck length and below.

15. Which of the following did Einstein considered time?
(a) The fifth fundamental force of the universe.
(b) A physical substance, composed of particles.
(c) A fourth dimension, alongside the three spatial dimensions.
(d) A three-dimensional field.

Short Answer Questions

1. In which particle was spin first discovered?

2. What characteristic of the string determines the properties of the particle it represents?

3. Which of the following is true about the tension within a string?

4. Which physicist is credited with discovering that light is composed of particles?

5. Which of the following is closest to the Planck length?

(see the answer keys)

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