Have you ever wondered about the difference between Horsepower and Torque? These two numbers are probably the most well known specifications in the automotive industry. Yet, I didn’t feel like I really had a solid grasp on the differences. I had some idea of each separately, but I was missing just how they interact.
I started doing some searching on the web and then watching a few videos, but they were either too abstract or blew through a few too many important concepts. So, I went back to the math with the most important insight: Torque is measured, but Horsepower is calculated.
In this video, I go through the history of horsepower while calculating its actual value of 33,000 ft-lb/min. Then I go on to derive the equation that equates horsepower to torque and show just where that constant of “5252” actually comes from. You’ll be entertained and hopefully, have a little better understanding of these most important specs.
