Impact

[nicbordeaux]

Welcome Michael. Your "5.8oz. weight falling in a 15 inch radius, 90 degrees , would leave an impact equal to 98.6 lbs static" does have an anlog:

You can sit a big weight sat on a nail which is held vertical in some way, it will not penetrate a plank of wood. However, a small weight in the form of a hammer descending at a rate which will give you an equivalent in "energy" terms to your big weight will drive the nail clean into that same piece of wood. This has to do with the transfer of energy; more savvy forum members will be able to expound on that.

So you are asking two different questions : speed of descent in an arc compared to vertical drop; result of delivery of force.

IMMO

ps : to get a clearer view, definitely, as suggested , use a longer lever or arm, and use the lightest and most "rigid" form of arm possible so that there is no great difference in mass. Increase the amount of your mass or weight, and use a carbon fiber Arrow shaft as the arm. Drilling a hole into your weight and aralditing the things together with a tight fit should help.

There may be something in having your carbon arm protuding equal distance each side of your pivot point (an old nail ?), thus there would be no additional weight bias due to the arm. You would have different inertial quantities though, to what extent other members will be able to answer.

[Michael A.]

Thanks nic for your reply, and the welcome. My only intent of this experiment, was to have something that I could measure against impact. I believe I achieved that with a static force, that I could actually weigh!

I wish I could have compared the 180 degree impact, but I only had about 100 lbs of weights on hand, and by the measurements on the pellets I think it would have taken 3 or four times that much weight.