Hey all. My name is Brandon Krouppa and I am a physics major with a minor in applied math here at JU. I am excited to write on this blog, as it gives me a chance to show all of you why I am interested in physics and why you should be too!
I was born and raised in Huntington, NY, and originally came to Jacksonville University as a biology major. I took Biology 170 and Biology 208 before departing biology and becoming a physics major. I am glad I made this choice, even though I maintain a big interest in cellular and molecular biology, including genetics.
I am currently taking courses that I find to be interesting and I am also steadily working on a research project involving the use of computational physics, in other words, using computer programs to assist with calculations associated with a physical problem.
I am also very involved on campus. I am the College of Arts and Sciences Representative for JUSA, as well as their Historian, and I am also Secretary of SPS (the Society of Physics Students).
So that's it for now, but I have a question for all of you...
What about physics interests you?
Feel free to ask questions about me or physics and hopefully I can answer your physics questions!
-Brandon Krouppa
bkroupp@jacksonville.edu
Hi Brandon,
ReplyDeleteI have to say as of right now, nothing about physics interests me. It is just a course I am taking as a pre req for Physical Therapy school. I have never taking a physics course, so this is my first time. I am looking forward to learning about this material, but I am really nervous that I will not do well because I heard it was pretty challenging. So my question to you is what about physics interests you and what is your favorite part about it? Also, on a scale from 1-10 how would you rate the difficulty of physics?
Ok im not sure why it says "anonymous" but since it isnt showing my name, my name is Katie Kelly. It is making me select a profile beside where it says "comment as" but none of them seem to work except the anonymous one, ??
ReplyDeleteGreat question. It depends on the person and how they view the course. It certainly helps that you're interested in the course content.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't worry much though. The gist of it all is to learn the techniques to solve problems and not view each problem individually; mainly because a lot of physics problems (especially at your level) are very much alike.
Don't hesitate to email if you have concerns or if anything sparks your interest in physics! My goal is to help find content that appeals to you.
Brandon Krouppa
bkroupp@jacksonville.edu
Oops. I missed one of your questions.
ReplyDeleteI like physics because it can describe the universe around me. Biology was fun, but it was a lot of qualitative information. The thing I really like about physics is theoretical physics. It's the use of math to describe a phenomena; and it's the opposite of experimental physics.
The research project I am studying now really catches my attention because computational physics bridges the gap between theory and experiment.
Hey Brandon!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Lauren Prince. This is my first Physics class, but I really like it so far. Science has always appealed to me. I'm nervous about doing well in the course. I've heard Physics is really hard and most people don't do very well. I'm up for the challenge. Thanks for setting up this blog. It definitely helps knowing there are people available for tutoring!
As an aspiring doctor, I thrive on the challenge of solving complex problems. Have you experienced difficulty grasping any of the concepts in Physics?
Good attitude Lauren!
ReplyDeletePhysics has given me quite the problems in the past couple of years. This week I even had difficultly understanding key points in class and for the homework. It's normal though. Practice is the key to success for physics problems!
The one thing that mixed me up in lower-level classes was negative signs. Always keep in mind which direction is positive and which is negative. Negative signs will also be a little bit of trouble in Physics 112 when you cover charges and electricity.
I hope you enjoy your second week in class and in lab!
Hey Brandon,
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to see you being involved in this project. I am sure you'll do great! I'm liking Physics so far, but I still have to study a little more to decide what interests me about Physics. You've answered many of the questions that I had for you, but if you were to think of your favorite scientist, the one that has influenced you the most or that you agree with the most, whom would you choose and why? I'll see you around and thanks for providing this help!
Hi Nayade!
ReplyDeleteOh my... That is a very hard question for me. I think it would be a tie between Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. They were both brilliant people. Newton addressed his problems by inventing calculus and Einstein was just a smart person who used math in very complex ways to figure out the physics.
Credit is due to all the so called, "Founders of Modern Physics." They are the physicists that have made huge contributions in physics since about 1850.
Hi Brandon! My name is Megan Zellner. I'm not really sure what interests me about Physics yet because I've never really looked into the subject in depth, but I'm a little nervous because of all the bad things I've heard about it! But I hope it won't be too bad! :)
ReplyDeleteHowdy Brandon, my name is Alissa Gilmer. This is not my first exposure to physics; I took an introductory course back in high school and actually quite enjoyed it. I think what appeals to me most about the subject is how logical and applicable it is, when compared to something like....chemistry. It's much easier to relate to and apply physics in our everyday lives because it's such a practical science. It addresses the commonly occurring phenomena that we often take for granted and promotes deeper insight into the way our world functions.
ReplyDeleteMegan - Don't be nervous. Just take it one bit at a time. You'll find something that interests you about physics.
ReplyDeleteAlissa - Your physics background will definitely help you! It helped me a lot when I had to take Physics 151 (the equivalent of Physics 111, but with the use of calculus). I am glad to hear you have such a positive view of physics. I hope it only gets better!
-Brandon Krouppa
So this week I heard someone mentioned Einstein Theory of Relativity. Can you explain to me what that is?
ReplyDeleteNayade,
ReplyDeleteThat is a whole other can of worms there. :)
First off, there is Special Relativity and General Relativity. Special Relativity is pretty easy compared to General Relativity.
I haven't taken a course in General Relativity, so I can't explain too much other than the fact that there is a gravitational and inertial property of mass. Yes, they are apparently different. The math behind General Relativity is quite complex.
Special Relativity is based on two postulates.
1) All laws of physics have the same form in inertial (non-accelerating) reference frames.
2) The speed of light in a vacuum is constant (c=3.00x10^8 m/s), in all inertial frames, regardless of the observer or the velocity of the source emitting the light.
From there lots of cool stuff happens like time-dilation and length contraction as an object approaches the speed of light. There are also some energy equations in there.
I hope that answers your question!
-Brandon Krouppa
Kelsey Irvine:
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I wasn't the only nervous nelly about Physics. My name is Kelsey (as shown above) and I'm a Jacksonville native majoring in Biology to one day become a vet. Like most classes outside Bio I had a hard time applying this course to my aspirations. I can see how it is involved in everything about life but it's very hard for me to get excited about the material. Any advice on changing that?
What interests me in physics?
ReplyDeleteI love the physics of calorimetry.
You are a long way from home Brandon. I hope you are enjoying Jacksonville. It is obvious you are keeping busy.
ReplyDeleteJessica Lang