I’ve spent about 2 hours watching videos on YouTube to understand how bows work but I’m getting more videos that are pitched at comparisons between different modern bows or how to shoot videos.
What I don’t understand is how a compound bow or springed bow is able to make a small person shoot at higher power. In my physics mind, I understand that cams and springs provide leverage. But the force applied to build potential energy is the same direction as the arrow being fired, so how does the arrow have more power?
if I’m using a seesaw analogy, I’m charging potential energy with the end of the seesaw, when I jump off, the far end of the seesaw still has the same distance to the fulcrum
In: 4
Ok, let me try again.
A compound bow, unlike a recurved bow, uses pulleys (or eccentric cams) to wind the bow string on a spring. So, they take less strength, using mechanical advantage to Increas power, versus a recurve bow which doesn’t have mechanical advantage.
So, for example rather than a seesaw analogy, think lever in lifting a weight off the ground. recurve bows are always middle fulcrum, 1 pound down moves the other end 1 pound up. But, compound bows use pulleys and can get different mechanical advantage to pull down with 1 pound but get more leverage in lifting up, in the same way block and tackle can provide greater lifting power
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