PMU199Y

Spring Test

This is just a reminder that the Spring Test will be held on Wednesday 18th March, in-class (in MP606) for one hour, starting at exactly 2:20pm and finishing at exactly 3:20pm. NO lateness excuses can be accepted. If you are late, you will simply have less time to do the Test. No exceptions. Please arrive early if you possibly can.

The Spring Test is worth 15% of your final grade. You will have sixty minutes to do the Test, so it will be time pressured. You will be expected to answer three out of four questions given. Each question is short-answer style. Please bring a (silent!) watch or clock with you if you think you might need to check the time, as our classroom clock faces your backs.

All concepts covered in class after the Fall Test - up to and including the Sagan Baloney Detection Kit - are fair game. (You will not be tested on material that was in any of the Oral presentations.) Consider my lecture notes to be the definitive source for what you should study - not Brian Greene's textbook. If you aren't sure about any concept, plan to visit me in my office for a physics chat.

All writing must be done in blue or black pen only, on the Test paper itself. In particular, pencil or other erasable writing will not be marked (because it can be tampered with). Crossouts in pen are absolutely fine, just as long as they are done clearly. If you need scratch paper, use only the blank sheet at the back of the Test paper. No exceptions.

NO unauthorized aids will be allowed. In particular:-

* No Textbook;
* No Class Notes;
* No Web Documents;
* No Food or Drink* (it's noisy, smelly and distracting); and
* No Electronic Devices, apart from a watch (eg: no calculators, no cell phones)!

The sole aid permitted is (optional): a TWO-sided one-page summary sheet - the Safety Blanket. This item is certainly not compulsory, and it will not be graded, but creating yours is likely to help you study. It should also help reduce any nervousness. Your Safety Blanket must be handwritten by you, on both sides of the sheet of (8.5x11in) Letter-sized paper, in a font large enough that an old fart like me can read it, and signed by you. If you bring a Safety Blanket, it must be presented to the Professor for approval a minimum of five minutes prior to the Test (ie, by 2:15pm). You should have no trouble getting approval if the above rules are followed. Note: to help ensure Test security, all Safety Blankets must be surrendered along with Test papers at the end. So if you need to keep a copy of your Safety Blanket, make a copy prior to the Test.

Of course, all standard UofT exam rules apply as well. If you are not sure about the rules (for example, the rule that Ignorance of the rules does not excuse cheating.), then please read up on them pronto.

Please remember that absolutely NO cell phones are allowed in the room during any UofT examination. As our UofT code of academic integrity emphasizes,In a UofT exam, it's not a cell phone, it's an unauthorized aid. Leave your cell phone at home, or find somewhere else safe on campus to leave it during the Test. No university employee can take responsibility for the safety of your belongings, so please plan accordingly.

All bags containing any extra personal belongings must be left at the front of the room beside the Professor for the duration of the Test and for at least five minutes prior. No access to personal items* will be permitted during 2:15-3:20pm, and no bathroom visits* will be allowed either.

* Exceptions can be granted only on medical grounds, in tune with UofT rules.

What's Fair Game

The Test questions will be divided up by topics as follows:-

  1. Unification and Symmetry (week 10 Clash of the 20th Century Titans, some of week 11 Unification and String Theory, week 14 Symmetry and Symmetry Breaking.)
  2. String Theory (some of week 11 Unification and String Theory, week 12 Superstrings and Superstring Duality Part 1″, week 13 Superstring Duality Part 2″.)
  3. Cosmology (week 15 Cosmology: a brief history of our universe, week 16 Cosmology origins and string theory.)
  4. Bullsh!t (week 17 Bob Park's 7 Warning Signs of Voodoo Science and week 18 Carl Sagan's Baloney Detection Kit)

Past Tests

You can practice on the three most relevant past Tests for this course: