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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

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

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

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

4. What are the vibrational patterns that a string can exhibit called?
(a) Notes.
(b) Harmonics.
(c) Chords.
(d) Resonances.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What property did the double-slit experiment demonstrate that light has?

2. Which of the following is not true according to special relativity?

3. What is the Planck mass?

4. The smallest possible unit of energy is referred to as _____.

5. What are the components of an atomic nucleus?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are super-partners?

2. What are some of the difficulties in confirming string theory experimentally?

3. Three observers carry out an experiment. From the same starting point, they observe a beam of light move directly away from them. One observer stays at rest at the starting point. One observer "chases" the beam at half the speed of light. The last observer chases the beam at exactly the speed of light. Describe what these observers would note about the beam of light according to Newtonian (pre-relativity) physics and thinking.

4. Describe the symmetry between the electromagnetism and the weak force that is predicted by quantum electroweak theory.

5. List the four fundamental forces of the universe, their functions, and describe where and at what scales they are most commonly observed.

6. How many string theories are there and how did there come to be multiple theories?

7. What is the relationship between light, electricity, and magnetism?

8. Suppose that two objects are exerting a gravitational pull on each other, when one suddenly moves a large distance further away from the other object. Describe the impact of this event according to general relativity.

9. In physics, what is symmetry?

10. What are the two main theories on which modern physics is based? At what scales are they accurate or inaccurate? Give at least one example of a circumstance in which both theories would need to be employed.

(see the answer keys)

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