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

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

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?
(a) The passage of time could not be predicted.
(b) Time would pass slowly compared to an observer at rest.
(c) Time would pass very quickly compared to an observer at rest.
(d) No time would pass at all.

4. In the 1800s, James Clerk Maxwell used a new mathematical framework to unite _____.
(a) Magnetism and gravity.
(b) Nuclear forces and gravity.
(c) Electricity and magnetism.
(d) Magnetism and light.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Which of the follow is true of objects with which string theory is concerned?

2. In 1968 it was discovered that protons and neutrons are composed of which type of particle?

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

4. According to general relativity, all objects that have mass have what effect on space-time?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. Referring to the experiment described in question Short Essay #6, what would the three observers see according to the theory of special relativity?

2. 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.

3. What is supersymmetry and what is its importance in string theory?

4. State Newton's law of gravity.

5. Adam is in his spaceship, at rest, when Ben's ship passes by, moving at nearly the speed of light. Adam observes that Ben's ship seems to be shorter than normal, and the clock on the outside of the ship is running very slowly. When he tells Ben about this, Ben claims that his ship was at rest, and that Adam passed him at nearly the speed of light. Ben also claims to have seen the same unusual problems with Adam's ship; it appeared shorter and its clock was running slowly. Adam and Ben's observations are both perfectly valid. Why?

6. In physics, what is symmetry?

7. Describe some of the problems with uniting quantum mechanics and general relativity.

8. Describe the structure of an atom.

9. What is the relationship between wavelength, frequency, and a wave's minimum energy?

10. Describe and explain the results of the two-slit experiment.

(see the answer keys)

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