The solution at revision #20439 of , by Valter. This is not the current version.

Statement

2.3.10. Why do bows that are strung too tightly or too loosely shoot poorly? How to choose the most suitable bow?

Solution

A bow
A bow

A bow shoots "well" when it imparts the maximum kinetic energy (and thus maximum velocity) to the arrow. The kinetic energy of the arrow is equal to the work done by the elastic force of the bowstring:

where is the stiffness of the bow and is the draw length. We can rewrite this formula as:

where is the pulling force applied by the archer.

  1. Bow strung too tightly (too stiff): The archer applies their maximum physical force , but due to the high stiffness, they can only draw the bowstring a very short distance . The stored energy will be low because is small.
  2. Bow strung too loosely (too weak): The archer can easily draw the bowstring to their maximum anatomical arm span , but the force required to hold it is much less than their maximum capability. The stored energy will be low because is small.

How to choose the most suitable bow:
The most suitable bow is one whose stiffness allows the archer to reach their maximum pulling force exactly at their maximum anatomical draw length . In this case, the kinetic energy transferred to the arrow will be maximized: