[ELI5] why is dry firing a bow so bad for it? Does the arrow really make that much of a difference in that regard?

Question

[ELI5] why is dry firing a bow so bad for it? Does the arrow really make that much of a difference in that regard?

In: 2366

Answer 1

Acceleration = Force / Mass

The arrow is in fact a LOT heavier than just the string. But a string with no arrow has just as much tension. So the bow and string are going to straighten a LOT faster without an arrow. Then once the string is taut, the bow cannot continue straightening and all that speed it built up needs to stop in an instant.