TrevH wrote:So it doesn't matter how stiff the spring is, but does it matter how long the lever is? If so, is the effective length of the lever the same in both cases?
Cheers
Trev
hi Trev,
My answer to your first question is a - yes.
Briefly, using the same blank material, we can construct either stiff or soft rods by adjusting the blank taper. The stored spring potential energy in either rods are roughly identical, particularly the rods are loaded within "ideal loading range". This idea can be tested on the "car and brick model" with a additional horizontal placed springs.
In my view, the "effective lever" is the key element to set the different performance between soft and stiff rod. Under the same force, softer rod load deeper, therefore has smaller effective lever than the stiffer companion. Smaller lever will has disadvantages in the projectile motion regarding distance casting. Though they still has the same PE, the overall cast distance is greater in stiffer rods.
hi crunch, (and Trev)
stiff or soft is just the description of how difficult to bend a rod, it did not refer to how "fast" and how "quickly" a rod recover to it's RSP after it has been bend to the MCL. For example, we can have rods made from several different materials but still remain the same stiffness -say- bamboo, fiberglass and graphite. As you probably can tell what I want to say... the graphite being the fastest recovery material (in general), and lightest and thinest rod among the 3. Therefore it transfer energy more efficient than fiberglass and bamboo (in general).
As I said in the previous post, within the motion "between MCL - RSP" . The PE + KE remain a constant value.
All stored PE energy in MCL position will be transfer to all KE energy in RSP position, regardless stiffness or soft in action. In general, graphite is a more efficient material than fiberglass and bamboo in converting the stored energy into line speed.
Cheers,
Mark