Caveman 2: Yeh, but lion have stabbies, too, also.
Caveman 3: Throw stick!
Caveman 1: Nah, arm get tired.
Caveman 2: Teach other stick to throw stick!
Cavemen 1 & 3: YAY!
Caveman 3: Uhhh...how we do dat?
Caveman 2 (suddenly assuming British accent): Elementary, old bean. We use something I will call, a BOW. In a nutshell, a bow is a device that converts slow and steady human force over a distance (Work) into stored Mechanical Potential Energy (in the form of tension in the Bowstave, Limbs, or Prod). This energy is converted into Kinetic Energy upon release of the Bowstring, and a great deal of that kinetic energy is transfered to the arrow. When you throw something, you're also throwing your arm's Mass along with it. Two-- Humans are only capable of exerting a certain amount of Force. With a bow, a human can exert that force over a longer period of time, storing it up in the force of Elastic Potential Energy. An archer draws back on his bow, applying a force to the bowstring which in turn bends the bow as it adds elastic potential energy. Thus, a bow is basically a spring which stores enegry to be put into the arrow. The Draw Weight(F) is directly proportional to the Draw Length(x), so like a spring, it follows Hooke's Law. However, it is only an apparent relationship. The Draw Curve is actually a slight curve (because of the shape of the bowstave), but combined with other factors, it nets a straight line relationship. The Energy stored in the bow is equal to Fx/2 (because there are two limbs). For a Recurve Bow, the straight line graph above works. However, for a Compound Bow, which utilizes levers and such, the weight actually decreases with the draw length, allowing a bow with the same amount of energy to require less force. The graph at left represents the weight of a compound bow over its draw length. The Draw Force Curve determines: 1. The Weight on the Archers Fingers at Full Draw. 2. How much energy is stored in the bow at full draw. 3. The shape of the Draw Curve determines the Stacking quality of the bow. And, if you allow, I will draw out the recurve force diagram on this wall:
Caveman 1 & 3 look at eachother, and yell "KILL HIM WITH FIRE!"