Physics GRE Discussion Forums

I am preparing for Nov13,2010 Physics GRE. Can anybody suggest any book for Atomic Physics and Advanced Topics? I am studying Perspectives Of Modern Physics by Beiser. Will it be sufficient for Atomic and Advanced Topics?

For full exposition you can recourse to "Quantum physics of atoms, molecules, solids, nuclei and particles" of Resnick, Eisberg. For exercises a book about modern physics from Schaum's series (its name slips my mind right now) suffices.

Physics_auth

How about "Introduction to Elementary Particles" (Griffiths)?

InquilineKea wrote:How about "Introduction to Elementary Particles" (Griffiths)?

This book will be serious overkill for the physics GRE. Most particle questions are sufficiently covered from a very cursory knowledge of the standard model. In fact the wikipedia page on the standard model is probably sufficient along side something like "Quarks, Leptons and the Big Bang" by Jonathan Allday, which is a bit more of a pop-science book but is also probably still overkill.

Honestly, I used a modern physics text book. I can't remember an atomic question that wasn't covered in it.

-Riley

Last time I checked, almost nothing in Griffiths's particle book is useful for the PGRE (with perhaps an exception for the 1st chapter/introduction if you like history). Was there a PGRE question about Feynman rules that I missed?

The majority of the particle questions are some simple definition question like,

Which of these is not a lepton

(A) Electron
(B) Proton
(C) Positron
(D) Muon
(E) Tauon

Wow, I didn't realize that they had simple memorization-based questions on there! (not opening up the practice tests until I get more background)

I guess I'm glad I did a particle physics powerpoint in 8th grade.

InquilineKea wrote:Wow, I didn't realize that they had simple memorization-based questions on there! (not opening up the practice tests until I get more background)

I guess I'm glad I did a particle physics powerpoint in 8th grade.

From what I recall, ETS assumes you know very little about particle physics.

sumith85 wrote:I am preparing for Nov13,2010 Physics GRE. Can anybody suggest any book for Atomic Physics and Advanced Topics? I am studying Perspectives Of Modern Physics by Beiser. Will it be sufficient for Atomic and Advanced Topics?

I also used Beiser. I found that it more or less met the needs of the Physics GRE except in Statistical Mechanics and Quantum Mechanics. It's sufficient for particle physics. If you do the exercises at the end of each chapter, you would be good to go (except in SM & QM). Also, as a non physics major giving the Physics GRE, I found Beiser easy to understand.

Kapil

InquilineKea wrote:Wow, I didn't realize that they had simple memorization-based questions on there! (not opening up the practice tests until I get more background)

I guess I'm glad I did a particle physics powerpoint in 8th grade.

90% of the PGRE is based on memorization...

negru wrote:

InquilineKea wrote:Wow, I didn't realize that they had simple memorization-based questions on there! (not opening up the practice tests until I get more background)

I guess I'm glad I did a particle physics powerpoint in 8th grade.

90% of the PGRE is based on memorization...

I dont think so, vice versa 10% of GRE is based on memorization ...

GRE Physics (REA) - The Best Test Prep for the GRE
Publisher: Research & Education Association | ISBN: 0878918485 | edition 1991 | PDF | 416 pages | 10,2 mb

This test preparation book includes four full-length exams with detailed explanations modeled after the actual GRE in Physics. Knowledge of mechanics, electromagnetism, atomic physics, physicoptics and wave phenomena, quantum mechanics, special relativity, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, laboratory methods, and advanced topics tested. Includes a general physics review of all topics tested on the exam. For physics students bound for graduate school.

pauline434 wrote:GRE Physics (REA) - The Best Test Prep for the GRE
Publisher: Research & Education Association | ISBN: 0878918485 | edition 1991 | PDF | 416 pages | 10,2 mb

This test preparation book includes four full-length exams with detailed explanations modeled after the actual GRE in Physics. Knowledge of mechanics, electromagnetism, atomic physics, physicoptics and wave phenomena, quantum mechanics, special relativity, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, laboratory methods, and advanced topics tested. Includes a general physics review of all topics tested on the exam. For physics students bound for graduate school.

Excellent copy-paste skills Pauline. BTW, your company's book SUCKS! Everybody hates it. But of course, people will continue to buy it because it's the only prep book that exists for the physics GRE.

InquilineKea wrote:I guess I'm glad I did a particle physics powerpoint in 8th grade.

I skipped 8th grade.

-Riley