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Re[2]: padded vs. unpadded polearms




Poster: "David H Ritterskamp"<dhritter@duke-energy.com>







>      Remember, E=Mc(squared).  The potential energy of a padded polearm
>      head is much higher, due to the weight of the object.
um, that's the potential energy contained in matter at 0 relative velocity
(at rest).  i think what is of more concern here is the kinetic energy,
since you won't see E=mc^2 unless you convert all the matter to pure energy
(and yes, that would knock you out, at least. :)

[In the style of Myth Adventures,

["Details!  Don't bother me with details!"
-S. Holmes]

what you want to work with is energy=work, work=force*distance, and force=
mass*acceleration.  mass you can measure (by weighing the polearm and
dividing by local gravity).  acceleration must account for both linear
(it's getting closer to target) and angular (it's turning) components.
in any case, though, what we're _really_ talking about here are elastic
vs. inelastic collisions and the impact-momentum theory...
in the elastic collision (padded), part of the energy is dissipated by the
deformation of the elastic material (padding), the rest is transferred to
that which is struck (helmet).  in the inelastic collision, we have to deal
with conservation of momentum.

[Help me out here; conservation of momentum?  or concentration?  ...go
ahead and rattle that one off.  I know conservation of energy, not
momentum...]
um, do people really want to hear this?  or is it easier to just do a
demon- stration?
put one hand on the table.  put some foam padding on it, a metal plate on
top of the padding, then hit the plate with a hammer.  try it again without
the padding.  try it again now without the plate, either.  see which hurts
most. -A- (being facetious a bit at the end, there)

[Not exactly the same thing there.  We're not debating the usefulness of
the _armor_ but the impact head.  To correct your demonstration, hit your
fingertips (lying flat on the table) with the hammer and observe how badly
they are mashed.  Then hit your fingertips with the other end of the hammer
and notice that there is, in fact, a great deal of pain, but no real
*damage*.

All of you go first, and report back to me if I'm wrong. ;>

>      Anybody else been hit on the head with that mallet that the (can't
>      remember if it's an Anglesidhe (sp?) or Tuchuk) carries?
Concentrated
>      mass at the end of a seven foot stick.

Whereas if you were to get hit with that same seven foot stick with the
padding (and resultant MASS) evenly distributed over the entire polearm,
your head wouldn't get NEARLY the jarring that it does now.

I have to admit the terms I used probably aren't correct, but the idea is
there.  I got bored in PHY1150-1151 too easily. ;>

He's right, though - the padded polearm has more potential and kinetic
energy due to its higher mass.  And it doesn't bounce off.  I guess
*that*'s conservation of momentum.

Anybody looking for a thesis? ;>

Regards,

Ld. J. Blackbow
Clan O'Shannon


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