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Atlatl!


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blog-0355526001388419688.jpgAfter a few blogs studying futuristic weapons I think it's time to look at some ancient, even prehistoric weapons. One of the most interesting of the physics related weapons was the atlatl. The atlatl is believed to have been developed independantly on each of the six inhabited continents. The atlatl is a tool to throw spears further and faster than is possible by hand. With an atlatl a spear can easily be thrown at more than 100 mph and travel well over 100 yards. The atlatl was used in hunting and fightning by tribes around the world.

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The atlatl works in two simple ways. The first and more obvious way is that it proides extra arm length and therefore leverage. The second and far more effective part is that the atlatl and the dart that it throws both bend. This allows the user to store spring energy in the atlatl and the dart. This energy is released accelerating the dart. To learn more about how the bending helps the motion try out this link http://www.atlatl.com/mechanics.php.

This video does a good job explaining some of the features of the weapon

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