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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. What is the quantum, or messenger particle, of the strong force?

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

4. What discovery was made that incorporated gravitational force into quantum mechanics via string theory?

5. What is the fundamental force responsible for keeping the nucleus of an atom "glued" together?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe a black hole, including some of its physical properties and methods by which it can be detected.

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

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

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. What are strings composed of?

7. 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.

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

9. 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.

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Symmetry Through the Universe

The "super" in "superstring theory" comes from the theory of supersymmetry, which itself derives from the easily intelligible principle of symmetry, which is ubiquitous in science. A physical law has symmetry if it is applied equally to any point in space or time. Supersymmetry is an expansion of that principle, and it provides string theory with a unique capability.

Part 1) Describe the nature of symmetry in the scientific field, and give some examples of laws which obey symmetry. Provide imaginary counter-examples that demonstrate the chaotic and unpredictable nature of laws that do not have symmetry.

Part 2) Describe supersymmetry, and explain the property of "spin" associated with elementary particles, and how it applies to the theory. Describe attempts to prove supersymmetry experimentally.

Part 3) What is the advantage when supersymmetry is incorporated into string theory? Describe the predictive and explanatory power that string theory gains through this in detail.

Essay Topic 2

The Calabi-Yau Space

The shape of the extra dimensions in our world turns out to be critical to the properties and physical laws that we observe every day. The particular shape of these spaces has been determined to be a Calabi-Yau shape, a class of exotic multi-dimensional shapes.

Part 1) Describe the importance of the shape of the extra dimensions. Why is this importance only relevant to string theory? What would the effects be if these shapes were different?

Part 2) Use descriptions from the book to explain the nature of Calabi-Yau spaces. What unusual characteristics do they have? What would it be like to move through such a space?

Part 3) Explain some of the work that has been done to relate the shape of the Calabi-Yau space to properties of particles in our universe. How is the shape of the Calabi-Yau space studied and improved? What are some shortcomings of this method?

Essay Topic 3

Strung Along

String theory is one of the most important physical theories of this century, and it has a mottled and unusual history. String theory has progressed in fits and starts since its strange inception, experiencing periods of boom and bust, but always moving forward. Part 1) Describe the early history of string theory, beginning with the accidental discovery by Gabriele Veneziano, up through the work of Schwarz and Scherk.

Part 2) Detail the history of the first and second "superstring revolutions". What set off these periods of intense study, what was achieved, and how did they end?

Part 3) Speculate why string theory has suffered periodic declines in the physics community. Use evidence from the book, or outside research to support your claims.

(see the answer keys)

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