[MR] How hard does it hit?

[Brian Caswell]

On Nov 24, 2006, at 4:25 PM, Walter W Triplette wrote:
> The question I'm asking is:  Given the weights and speeds of the  
> weapons at impact, how hard does each hit, given the size of the  
> blunts on each weapon?  Does the rapier with it's greater weight  
> hit harder despite the bigger blunt, or does the epee, despite it's  
> lighter weight, hit harder because the force is distributed over a  
> smaller area?

I've done the math, and the epee should hit at roughly double the  
force per unit.  However, IIRC, there is a flaw in your assumptions.   
The amount of spring that any given weapon has will drastically alter  
the amount of force per unit.  Almost all of the epees I've ever  
touched had a much lower spring force.  (Amount of force required to  
stretch it a given unit of length)  In plain english, the epees are  
more bendable, and will absorb more of the shot.

How much, I couldn't tell you.  Its been too long, all I remember is  
its got something to do with Hooke's Law.

Perhaps Roland can ask his wife, the rocket scientist.

Brian