How to Hit Your Target with an Arrow: Understanding Projectile Motion

What is involved in shooting an arrow in a high arc toward a target?

When shooting an arrow in a high arc toward a target, what forces come into play?

Answer:

Shooting an arrow in a high arc toward a target involves an understanding of projectile motion. It allows the arrow to follow a curved path due to forces like gravity and air resistance, resulting in it hitting the target.

When you release an arrow in a high arc toward a target, you're essentially carrying out a physics experiment. The arrow follows a curved path or an arc in the air because of gravity, before hitting the target. This is known as the trajectory of the arrow.

Projectile motion is the motion of an object thrown, or projected, into the air, subject only to the force of gravity. The object is called a projectile, and its path is a parabola. The main forces influencing the trajectory of a projectile are the initial velocity at which it's launched, the angle at which it's launched, and the acceleration due to gravity.

Thinking about your question in terms of physics, an arrow shot in a high arc has to combat forces like gravity and air resistance. Initially, the arrow takes off and rises up against gravity. This is like the more-or-less-straight, white trail in a firework display. But the shell in a firework is a rocket; it has multiple forces on it and does not fall under free-fall until it explodes. Comparatively, an arrow begins its descent back to Earth much earlier after reaching its highest point.