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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. What is the fundamental particle, the smallest possible bundle of energy, for the electromagnetic force?

2. In quantum mechanics, what is symmetry breaking?

3. How can black holes be detected?

4. Which of the following did Einstein considered time?

5. What property of electromagnetic waves did Max Planck solve the thermodynamic problem of the oven by discovering?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Describe the relationship between the vibration of a string and the particle it represents, including the particle's mass and the tension, wavelength, and amplitude of the string.

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

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

6. Describe Max Planck's solution to the infinite-energy problem.

7. Describe the structure of an atom.

8. 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?

9. Describe the nature and origin of quantum foam.

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Black Holes

Black holes are the most massive objects in our universe. They contain deep mysteries and relatively little is known about them. They are incredibly powerful, able to out-muscle light itself, piece the fabric of space-time, and perhaps even create new universes.

Part 1) Describe the history of our knowledge of black holes: How and why they were first theorized about, and how they were first discovered by observation.

Part 2) How is a black hole formed? Explain the dominant theories about the formation of black holes, being sure to address features such as the event horizon. Explain some of the more esoteric possibilities as well.

Part 3) Black holes have driven forward theory and discovery for a long time. Explain some of the ways that black holes have inspired scientists to push forward our knowledge of the universe.

Essay Topic 2

A Cosmic Anomaly

Until a few years ago, concepts like "tears" in the fabric of space-time were purely science fiction. However, string theory has shown that these occurrences are possible. Part 1) Explain the concept of a tear in space-time. What does this tear represent, and how would it interact with its surroundings.

Part 2) Describe the discovery of space-tearing flop transitions. Describe conifold transitions. How and why do these transitions occur? How are the dangers of these tears prevented?

Part 3) It is possible that these kinds of tears could be created and manipulated at will. What are the possible uses and applications of these tears? Would their use be conscionable, given their apparent danger?

Essay Topic 3

Inflation

Inflation theory is a very unusual theory about the first moments of the universe's existence. It predicts that an unimaginably massive expansion took place in a mind-bogglingly short period. However, the theory has been more or less definitively confirmed, and is an important part of modern cosmology.

Part 1) Describe the nature of the microwave cosmic background radiation and the horizon problem. Fully explain how these things relate to the expansion of the universe and the classic model of the big bang.

Part 2) Explain the development of inflation theory. How does it solve the horizon problem?

Part 3) How is the inflation theory affected by string theory?

Part 4) Explain some of the effects of the inflationary period on the universe that we observe today.

(see the answer keys)

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