We have been in these debates for so many times. I simply lost track as I do not really have the nerves anymore to explain this stuff to people. However, horsepower vs torque is the eternal discussion, and thank God we have Chris Fix to explain it in a more calmly and understanding way. So, let us start off with a brief introduction and let Chris finish it out for you! No strange analogies will be used and the math will be brought on a minimum level.
So, what is torque, actually? We constantly hear people talking about torque, but do we really know what that is? It is simply the force applied at a distance! So, let’s put it this way: TORQUE = FORCE * DISTANCE!
Basically, you can think of it as a twisting force. Like if you are trying to tighten something with a wrench, what you are actually doing is applying force that you press down at a distance, whereas the length of the wrench supplies the TORQUE!
Moreover, in this horsepower vs torque dispute. Torque is a force which is acting in a radius, horsepower, however, incorporates the time into equation. So, whenever you hear people saying that horsepower is how fast you hit a building, whereas torque is how far you take the building with you, find that to be silly and fairly inaccurate.
Power simply equals torque * angular velocity. Or, HP = torque * RPM/5252 in imperial units. Anyway, Chris Fix will not leave in question marks, so go to the video below!
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