What Do Horsepower and Torque Mean?

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Horsepower refers to the engine's power, while torque measures the amount of rotational force the engine can output in a single cycle. Here are the key differences between horsepower and torque: 1. Different meanings: Torque: Refers to the force that twists an object and causes deformation. It is the moment generated when an object is subjected to a tangential force in the direction of rotation, commonly measured with a torque wrench in Newton-meters. Common objects affected by torque include screw-nut pairs and drive shafts. Horsepower: A commonly used unit for measuring power in engineering, it indicates a car's top speed potential—higher horsepower means higher maximum speed. 2. Different characteristics: Higher horsepower results in greater maximum speed (Max Speed); higher torque means stronger instantaneous acceleration, making the car quicker during starts or sudden acceleration.