Horsepower and Torque
#26
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Originally Posted by globi
Force at the wheels is what ultimately moves the car. The higher that Force the faster it accelerates.
Of course, in the context of torque vs power, none of that really matters.
Originally Posted by globi
That Force is proportional to the Torque at the rear axle. And that Torque is ultimately proportional to Engine Torque and Engine Speed (at any given wheelspeed).
Originally Posted by globi
Maximum power is just an indicator when the product of Engine Torque and Engine Speed reaches a maximum. Maximum power is an important value to give one maybe a somewhat imprecise but definitely very fast answer what Force an engine could ultimately deliver to the wheels (at any given wheelspeed).
Originally Posted by globi
A Force or a Torque has a direction and can push or rotate something in any direction. Work and Power can't really do anything they're just values. We can all feel a Force or a Torque directly, but we can't feel Power or Work at least not directly.
Originally Posted by globi
So comparing something with a direction (vector) with something that has just a value (scalar) doesn't make sense. Or in other words there's just no point in comparing Torque and Power.
#27
Originally Posted by Deslock
True, but that's the same thing as saying wheel torque is proportional to engine power (at any wheel/vehicle speed). Writing it the way you did in a torque vs power discussion may have been part of the reason some people got so confused.
Originally Posted by Deslock
We don't feel engine torque directly either. We feel the force of the seat pushing us forward, which comes from the force at the wheels, which comes from whatever wheel torque is not being used to offset the road grade, air resistance, etc. Also, wheel torque is proportional to EnginePower / Speed or EngineTorque * Gearing, depending on how you want to calculate it.
Originally Posted by Deslock
I understand what you're getting at, but power is just a measurement of how quickly you can apply a force (power = force * velocity). If that force is applied directionally, so is the power.
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