Quote:
Originally Posted by swamp2
I don't really want to start another epic torque vs. horsepower debate. They are ALWAYS lost...
If you feel as you stated about power above you have some serious learning to do. Power is a very fundamental physics/physics concept as it torque. When something is being driven rotationally both are always present. However, vehicle performance is ALL ABOUT power (power to weight, of course). You do realize that you can double (or any other amount you like) the torque an engine puts out at the crank and if you do not increase the power, the car will accelerate identically? You CAN NOT do that with power. Without also knowing gearing, torque at the crank is utterly useless in determining vehicle performance.
I kindly suggest reading one of the many epic debates/conversations here on this forum about the topic. I really am going to bite my tongue and won't discuss this further until you have bothered to do so.
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Well, you're the one who seems to be confused about this topic. I have 2 university degrees so I'm sure about what I'm talking about. Power is simply the PRODUCT of both torque and rotational speed. You keep talking as if they are separate things. If you increase the torque output of an engine, for example by supercharging it, then you cannot possibly not increase the power output at the same rotational speed. Torque is the independent variable, the one along the x axis. Power is the dependent variable. It is on the y axis and is a function of torque. Saying that car A is faster than car B because it has a higher peak horsepower is nonsense. What matters is the torque curve at the wheels as the speed increases from stop to the desired top speed. This is dependent on two things, the torque output of the engine, and the torque magnification through the gears of the transmission and differential. Power and torque are not separate and independent entities like you make them seem. Power is a function of torque and is determined by torque and rotational speed only. It's just like power for an object moving in a straight line, just a product of the force and the speed of the object.