HP vs Torque
For the horsepower does not matter it is torque that accelerates debate. Video
Forum Discussion
Torque is force. Horsepower is a calculation: Torque x RPM divided by 5250.
A motor that makes 500 ft/lbs at 4000 RPM will have twice the HP number of a motor that makes 500 ft/lbs at 2000 RPM.
You could build a giant engine that made one million ft/lbs of torque at 10 RPM. It would only be 190 HP.
Let’s say you have to remove a very tight bolt. You put a wrench on it and apply torque. If the bolt isn’t moving, you are still applying torque but no horsepower, since there has to be RPM (the bolt has to be turning) to measure any horsepower.
Torque is how hard you pull on the wrench.
Here’s another analogy. If you’re riding a 10-speed bike at 10 MPH, you could be in 1st gear pedaling lightly but very fast to create the total power needed to cruise at 10 MPH.
You could also be In 10th gear, pedaling really hard but very slowly to create the power to cruise the bike at 10 MPH.
The former would use less torque and more RPM at the pedal crank, the latter would use more torque at less RPM, and both created the same result, the horsepower to move the bike along at 10 MPH.
A motor that makes 500 ft/lbs at 4000 RPM will have twice the HP number of a motor that makes 500 ft/lbs at 2000 RPM.
You could build a giant engine that made one million ft/lbs of torque at 10 RPM. It would only be 190 HP.
Let’s say you have to remove a very tight bolt. You put a wrench on it and apply torque. If the bolt isn’t moving, you are still applying torque but no horsepower, since there has to be RPM (the bolt has to be turning) to measure any horsepower.
Torque is how hard you pull on the wrench.
Here’s another analogy. If you’re riding a 10-speed bike at 10 MPH, you could be in 1st gear pedaling lightly but very fast to create the total power needed to cruise at 10 MPH.
You could also be In 10th gear, pedaling really hard but very slowly to create the power to cruise the bike at 10 MPH.
The former would use less torque and more RPM at the pedal crank, the latter would use more torque at less RPM, and both created the same result, the horsepower to move the bike along at 10 MPH.
