Re: Fizzicks Question (no Audi content)

["Robert Myers" <rmyers@inetone.net>]

At 09:36 AM 2/6/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Say, in all the years of reading enthusiast magazines, etc. I've never
>run across answers to these questions:
>
>-what the heck is a horsepower, anyway?

One horse power is defined as 550 ft-lbs per second.  i.e. enough energy
expended each second to lift a 55 pound load by 1 foot or 225 pounds 2 feet
or...  All of this in one second.  That's a purdy good horse.  :-)

>-and what is the relationship between power and torque?

Torque is a force applied through a lever arm.  The lever arm you will be
interested in will be the working diameter of your drive wheels/tires.  For
that setup greater torque would correspond to greater force.  It is this
tangential force which causes the car to accelerate (F = MA).

In general, the more power, the more torque.  Therefore stronger acceleration.


___
   Bob
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