Calculating Trajectory and Force of Bow & Arrow

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SUMMARY

This discussion focuses on calculating the trajectory and force of a bow and arrow, specifically using kinematics to plot the arrow's flight path. The user has successfully calculated the kinetic energy (KE) of two arrows: a lighter arrow (0.0285 kg) with 11.721 joules of force and a heavier arrow (0.05 kg) with 14.1 joules of KE. The user expresses curiosity about the differences in KE despite both arrows being shot with a constant force and seeks to understand the impact of fletching and center of mass on the arrow's trajectory.

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  • Kinematics principles for projectile motion
  • Basic physics concepts of force and kinetic energy
  • Understanding of mass and its effect on motion
  • Knowledge of arrow dynamics, including fletching and center of mass
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  • Research "Projectile motion equations" for detailed trajectory calculations
  • Explore "Kinetic energy calculations in archery" for deeper insights on energy transfer
  • Study the effects of "Fletching design on arrow stability" to understand trajectory deviations
  • Investigate "Center of mass in projectile dynamics" to learn its influence on flight paths
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Archers, physics enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the mechanics of projectile motion and arrow performance.

Stratosphere
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I want to find out the trajectory and the force of my bow and arrow. I was wondering how I could actually do this. I know how to calculate the force and kinetic energy of the arrow but I don’t know how to plot out the path of the arrow in flight I thought I might have to use Kinematics but I am not sure.

P.S This is NOT homework I am simply curious to see how far my arrow will go without testing it on a field, plus its more fun to use physics.:biggrin:

Also in working out the force of 2 different arrows I used to measure which one is better, I got that arrow 1 with a mass of .0285kg has a total of 11.721 joules of force and my heavier arrow of .05kg has a total KE of 14.1 joules. Is this right? I figured that they would be the same amount of KE because it is being shot with a constant force from the bow string.
 
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I would be interested in the effect of fletching and center of mass on deviating the arrow's path from the first-order parabolic.
 

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