Where could I find some basic problems in physics?

[Haorong Wu]

Hello. I am going to take an interview for the entrance test of M.S. candidates.

Professors in the interview would ask some basic problems from classical mechanics, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, solid state physics, such as:

What is the seven basic quantities in physics?
What is temperature?
What are the three laws of thermodynamics?
Why electron would not collapse to nuclue?
What is the relation between conservation and symmetry?
What is the difference between crystal and noncrystal?
What is condensed matter physics?

I found the post Physics FAQ List quite informative, and I hope to find other basic problems so that I could be well-prepared for the interview.

Thank you!

 

[wukunlin]

I don't know any cheat sheet for questions like this. It looks like a broad range of general knowledge questions in Physics. Students who just finished their Bachelor's with major in Physics should be able to answer them with various levels of detail (which makes sense for this interview).
Freshman textbooks should cover all these concepts, so if you grab something like Serway and Jewett's Physics for Scientists and Engineers and have a read through the concepts you are still unfamiliar with, you should do fine with these questions. There might be better books for this but that is the only introductory physics textbook I read as a freshman.

 

[berkeman]

I hope to find other basic problems so that I could be well-prepared for the interview.

It sounds like practice tests for the Physics GRE would give you good practice problems at your level:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=physics+gre+practice

 

[FactChecker]

I have always been a big fan of Schaum's Outlines, all of which have many worked examples. I see that there is a Schaum's Outline in Physics and another outline with 3,000 solved physics problems. The first one will have text explaining physics with many solved problems and the second one probably only has solved problems. You should take a look at those.

 

[klotza]

I have a PhD in physics and I'm not sure what the seven basic quantities in physics are. Is that supposed to be asking about the SI base units?

 

[Haorong Wu]

I have always been a big fan of Schaum's Outlines, all of which have many worked examples. I see that there is a Schaum's Outline in Physics and another outline with 3,000 solved physics problems. The first one will have text explaining physics with many solved problems and the second one probably only has solved problems. You should take a look at those.

Thanks, FactChecker. It helps a lot.

 

[Haorong Wu]

I have a PhD in physics and I'm not sure what the seven basic quantities in physics are. Is that supposed to be asking about the SI base units?

Sorry. Yes, it is. I am sorry I translated it terriblely.