GRE Physics Test Practice Book
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GRE ® Physics Test Practice Book This practice book contains n one actual, full-length GRE® Physics Test n test-taking strategies Become familiar with n test structure and content n test instructions and answering procedures Compare your practice test results with the performance of those who took the test at a GRE administration. www.ets.org/gre Table of Contents Overview ....................................................................................................................................3 Test Content ..............................................................................................................................3 Preparing for the Test .................................................................................................................4 Test-Taking Strategies ................................................................................................................4 What Your Scores Mean ............................................................................................................5 Taking the Practice Test ............................................................................................................5 Scoring the Practice Test ...........................................................................................................5 Evaluating Your Performance ....................................................................................................5 Practice Test ...............................................................................................................................7 Worksheet for Scoring the Practice Test .................................................................................87 Score Conversion Table ...........................................................................................................88 Answer Sheet ...........................................................................................................................89 Test takers with disabilities or health-related needs who need test preparation materials in an alternate format should contact the ETS Office of Disability Services at [email protected]. For additional information, visit www.ets.org/gre/disabilities Copyright © 2017 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, MEASURING THE POWER OF LEARNING, GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS, and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS) in the United States and other countries. Overview from a nationwide survey of undergraduate physics curricula. The percentages reflect the The GRE® Physics Test consists of about committee’s determination of the relative 100 multiple-choice questions. Testing time is emphasis placed on each topic in a typical 2 hours and 50 minutes; there are no separately- undergraduate program. These percentages are timed sections. given below along with the major subtopics This publication provides a comprehensive included in each content category. overview of the GRE Physics Test to help you get Nearly all the questions in the test will relate ready for test day. It is designed to help you: to material in this listing; however, there may • Understand what is being tested be occasional questions on other topics not explicitly listed here. • Gain familiarity with the question types I. Classical Mechanics (20%) • Review test-taking strategies (such as kinematics, Newton’s laws, work • Understand scoring and energy, oscillatory motion, rotational • Practice taking the test motion about a fixed axis, dynamics of systems of particles, central forces and To learn more about the GRE Subject Tests, celestial mechanics, three-dimensional visit www.ets.org/gre. particle dynamics, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalism, non-inertial Test Content reference frames, elementary topics in fluid The test consists of approximately 100 five- dynamics) choice questions, some of which are based on II. Electromagnetism (18%) such materials as diagrams, graphs, experimental (such as electrostatics, currents and DC data and descriptions of physical situations. The circuits, magnetic fields in free space, aim of the test is to determine the extent of Lorentz force, induction, Maxwell’s the test takers’ grasp of fundamental principles equations and their applications, and their ability to apply these principles in electromagnetic waves, AC circuits, the solution of problems. Most test questions magnetic and electric fields in matter) can be answered on the basis of a mastery of III. Optics and Wave Phenomena (9%) the first three years of undergraduate physics. (such as wave properties, superposition, The test questions are constructed to simplify interference, diffraction, geometrical mathematical manipulations. As a result, neither optics, polarization, Doppler effect) calculators nor tables of logarithms are needed. If the solution to a problem requires the use of IV. Thermodynamics and Statistical logarithms, the necessary values are included Mechanics (10%) with the question. (such as the laws of thermodynamics, The International System (SI) of units is used thermodynamic processes, equations predominantly in the test. A table of information of state, ideal gases, kinetic theory, representing various physical constants and a few ensembles, statistical concepts and conversion factors among SI units is presented calculation of thermodynamic quantities, in the test book. Whenever necessary, additional thermal expansion and heat transfer) values of physical constants are printed with the V. Quantum Mechanics (12%) text of the question. (such as fundamental concepts, solutions The approximate percentages of the test of the Schrödinger equation [including on the major content topics have been set square wells, harmonic oscillators by the committee of examiners, with input and hydrogenic atoms], spin, angular GRE ® Physics Test Practice Book 3 | Page momentum, wave function symmetry, test. However, the test covers a broad elementary perturbation theory) range of subject matter, and no one is VI. Atomic Physics (10%) expected to be familiar with the content (such as properties of electrons, Bohr of every question. model, energy quantization, atomic • Become familiar with the types of structure, atomic spectra, selection rules, questions in the GRE Physics Test, paying black-body radiation, x-rays, atoms in special attention to the directions. If you electric and magnetic fields) thoroughly understand the directions VII. Special Relativity (6%) before you take the test, you will have (such as introductory concepts, time more time during the test to focus on the dilation, length contraction, simultaneity, questions themselves. energy and momentum, four-vectors and Lorentz transformation, velocity addition) Test-Taking Strategies VIII. Laboratory Methods (6%) The questions in the practice test illustrate the (such as data and error analysis, types of multiple-choice questions in the test. electronics, instrumentation, radiation When you take the actual test, you will mark detection, counting statistics, interaction your answers on a separate machine-scorable of charged particles with matter, lasers answer sheet. and optical interferometers, dimensional The following are some general test-taking analysis, fundamental applications of strategies you may want to consider. probability and statistics) • Read the test directions carefully, and IX. Specialized Topics (9%) work as rapidly as you can without being Nuclear and Particle physics (such as careless. For each question, choose the nuclear properties, radioactive decay, best answer from the available options. fission and fusion, reactions, fundamental • All questions are of equal value; do not properties of elementary particles), waste time pondering individual questions Condensed Matter (such as crystal you find extremely difficult or unfamiliar. structure, x-ray diffraction, thermal properties, electron theory of metals, • You may want to work through the test semiconductors, superconductors), quickly, first answering only the questions Miscellaneous (such as astrophysics, about which you feel confident, then going mathematical methods, computer back and answering questions that require applications) more thought, and concluding with the most difficult questions if there is time. Preparing for the Test • If you decide to change an answer, make sure you completely erase it and fill in the GRE Subject Test questions are designed to oval corresponding to your desired answer. measure skills and knowledge gained over a long period of time. Although you might increase • Your score will be determined by the your scores to some extent through preparation number of questions you answer correctly. a few weeks or months before you take the test, Questions you answer incorrectly or for last minute cramming is unlikely to be of further which you mark no answer or more than help. The following information may be helpful. one answer are counted as incorrect. Nothing is subtracted from a score if you • A general review of your college courses answer a question incorrectly. Therefore, is probably the best preparation for the to maximize your score it is better for you 4 | Page GRE ® Physics Test Practice Book to guess at an answer than not to respond answers on the answer sheet. Stop working on the at all. test when 2 hours and 50 minutes have elapsed. • Record all answers on your answer sheet. Answers recorded in your test book will Scoring the Practice Test not be counted. The worksheet on page 87 lists the correct