What Do Power and Torque Mean?
1 Answers
Two important parameters of an engine are horsepower and torque. These two parameters are key factors in determining the quality of an engine. Torque is the force that causes an object to rotate. In simpler terms, torque indicates how much strength a car has. Power refers to the speed at which the engine performs work, essentially how fast the engine can rotate. Generally, a car with higher rotational speed can run faster. Horsepower is a unit of power. Typically, for a given power output, the rotational speed and torque of the same engine are inversely proportional. This means that the slower the engine's rotational speed, the greater its torque and strength, but at the expense of speed. Conversely, a higher rotational speed results in lower torque and relatively less strength, but higher speed. High torque is beneficial for acceleration, while high rotational speed enables the car to run faster. However, for different engines, if the power is greater, the rotational speed will be relatively higher, and the torque will also be greater. This is why a Bugatti engine with 1000 horsepower can reach speeds of 400 km/h and accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just over three seconds. In contrast, a Santana with just over 100 horsepower cannot exceed 180 km/h and takes more than ten seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h.
