How to Convert Power and Horsepower
3 Answers
1.125kw multiplied by 1.36 equals horsepower. Here is some information about power and horsepower: 1. Maximum power is usually expressed in horsepower (PS) or kilowatts (kw), where 1 horsepower equals 0.735 kilowatts; Power is a physical quantity that represents how fast work is done. In physics, power P = work W / time t, and the unit is watt (w). 2. Due to the difference between the imperial and metric systems, the definition of horsepower is basically different; Imperial horsepower (hp) is defined as: a horse pulling a 200-pound (lb) object 165 feet (ft) in one minute, multiplied equals 33,000 lb-ft/min; While metric horsepower (ps) is defined as a horse pulling a 75kg object 60 meters in one minute, multiplied equals 4500 kgm/min.
When I tinker with cars, I often need to convert this, and the rule is actually quite simple. 1 horsepower is roughly equal to 0.735 kilowatts, and conversely, 1 kilowatt is approximately equal to 1.36 horsepower. I remember once helping a friend calculate the power of his modified car; 150 horsepower equals 110 kilowatts. However, it's important to note that this refers to metric horsepower. Some older American cars use imperial horsepower, which has a slightly different conversion ratio. After playing with cars for a long time, I discovered a little trick: subtracting a quarter from the horsepower number basically gives you the kilowatt value, with very little error. When looking at specific car parameters, pay attention to whether the manufacturer labels them in PS or kW, and don't confuse the two. Nowadays, newly released electric cars are more often labeled in kilowatts, but old-school car enthusiasts still prefer using horsepower. Power represents the actual output capability of the engine, while horsepower is just a traditional unit.
These two units are often seen interchangeably in car specifications, and the actual conversion isn't difficult. The basic formula is that 1 kilowatt equals 1.36 metric horsepower, or conversely, 1 horsepower equals 0.735 kilowatts. For example, when I was repairing a car labeled 135 kilowatts, a quick mental calculation multiplying by 1.4 gives roughly 185 horsepower. This metric horsepower standard is also called PS, which is similar to the DIN standard commonly used in Germany. Interestingly, the term horsepower was invented by Watt, originally intended to represent how much work a horse could do. Nowadays, dynamometer data from testing stations is given in precise kilowatts, but manufacturers prefer to use horsepower figures in their promotions, as it sounds more impressive. A handy trick for conversion: when you see a horsepower value, dividing it by three-quarters gives you roughly the kilowatt figure.
