UVa Physics Qualifying Exam

The University of Virginia Physics PHd Qualifying Exam

All UVa physics PHd candidates must pass the UVa physics qualifier (qual) in order to continue on to receive a PHd. The qualifier covers four basic areas of physics;

1. Classical Mechanics
2. Thermodynamics & Statistical Mechanics
3. Electricity & Magnetism
4. Quantum Mechanics.

The last two sections are the major sections and are given twice as much weight as the first two.

Schedule

Traditionally, the qual has been offered at the beginning of the fourth semester (January) after having completed the required course work and again near the end of the fourth semester(April) for those students that did not pass the first time. For 2007 and later the qualifier has been restructured. It is intended that the qualifier will now be administered after the second semester (May) and again before the start of the third semester (August) as a last chance. As part of the transition, the exam will be offered three times during 2007; January, May, and August. The test is split over two days with one day covering Classical and E&M, the other covering Stat. Mech. and Quantum. Each testing day consists of six questions (two from the minor section and four from the major section) and four hours are given to solve the questions.

Problems and Solutions

Classical Mechanics

1. assstupid
2. question
3. question
4. question
5. question
6. question
7. Cubic pendulum
8. question
9. Space station orbit
10. question
11. question
12. question
13. question
14. question
15. question
16. question
17. question
18. question
19. question
20. question
21. question
22. question
23. question
24. question
25. question

26. Rotating tube
27. question
28. question
29. question
30. question
31. question
32. question
33. question
34. question

Statistical Mechanics

1. question
2. question
3. question
4. question
5. question
6. question
7. question
8. Entropy, work, and Helmholtz free energy
9. Grand Canonical Partition function
10. Ferromagnet
11. Bose-Einstein Condensation temperature
12. Landau quantization
13. Stirling cycle
14. Spin 1/2 particles in magnetic field
15. Ideal gas of massless Bosons
16. Phase equilibrium and Clausius-Clapeyron equation
17. Adiabatic expansion, Carnot Cycle
18. Ensemble of spins in B-field
19. P-V curve
20. Compression of ideal gas
21. Heat Capacity of ideal gas
22. Blackbody radiation
23. Gas leaking through a small hole
24. Neutron star
25. Free energies for mass on elastic thread

26. Centrifuge
27. Ionized gas
28. Entropy of mixing
29. Joule-Thompson effect
30. Isothermal compression
31. Equipartition of energy
32. Max work from cooling
33. Two connected systems
34. Relation between Cp and Cv
35. Blackbody radiation
36. Two gases mixing
37. Joule-Kelvin (Thompson) coefficient
38. Adiabatic expansion, isothermal compression
39. Gibbs free energy and entropy of monatomic gas
40. Enthalpy from equation of state and heat capacity
41. Expansion of saturated vapor
42. System of 2-state particles
43. Internal energy, constant number of particles
44. Partition function and distribution function
45. Adiabatic and isothermal nonsense
46. Crazy heat engine
47. Two gases in separate containers

Electricity and Magnetism

1. question
2. question
3. question
4. question
5. question
6. question
7. question
8. question
9. Meissner effect in super conducting sphere
10. Atomic spectral line
11. Cylindrical capacitor in liquid dielectric
12. Circular polarized light incident o bound electron
13. Rectangular waveguide
14. Two rotating charged spheres
15. Potential inside a box
16. Index of refraction of the ionosphere
17. Cerenkov radiation
18. Charge subjected to a wave described by vector potential
19. Rectangular current loop
20. Cylinder carrying current I
21. Radiating particle in two inertial frames
22. B-field and E-field in lab frame from moving frame
23. Energy flux conservation in resistor
24. Potential of dielectric sphere
25. Skin depth
26. Spherical cavity in a conductor
27. question
28. question
29. question
30. question

31. question
32. question
33. question
34. question
35. question
36. question
37. question
38. question
39. question
40. question
41. question
42. question
43. question
44. question
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48. question
49. question
50. question
51. question
52. question
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54. question
55. question
56. question
57. question
58. question
59. question
60. question

Quantum Mechanics

1. question
2. question
3. question
4. question
5. question
6. question
7. question
8. question
9. question
10. Stark effect for hydrogen atom
11. question
12. question
13. question
14. question
15. question
16. question
17. question
18. question
19. Two electrons confined to a circle
20. question
21. question
22. question
23. question
24. question
25. question
26. question
27. question
28. question
29. question
30. question

31. question
32. question
33. question
34. question
35. question
36. question
37. question
38. question
39. question
40. question
41. question
42. question
43. question
44. question
45. question
46. question
47. question
48. question
49. question
50. question
51. question
52. question
53. question
54. question
55. question
56. question
57. question
58. question
59. question
60. question