Darts

Abstract

Because the shorter atlatl is levering and moving forward faster than the longer flexible dart, the dart bends, flexes, basically trying to get out of the way of the oncoming atlatl. Thus flexed, the dart shaft has stored up kinetic energy so that when the dart actually separates from (springs off of) the atlatl, the kinetic energy thus stored in the flexing dart is released, added to energy of the human provided force of throw and the human provided torque from the flicking wrist at the end of the cast, all of which gives the dart its sum total of distance and penetration, and its wobble/snake like travel through the air.