What is the difference between horsepower and horse?
3 Answers
Horsepower is measured in units of 'horse'. It was proposed by James Watt and is a commonly used unit for measuring power in engineering. Generally, it refers to metric horsepower rather than imperial horsepower. The following is an introduction to engines: 1. Introduction: An engine is a machine that can convert non-mechanical energy into mechanical energy. 2. Classification: Includes internal combustion engines (reciprocating piston engines), external combustion engines (Stirling engines, steam engines, etc.), jet engines, electric motors, etc. 3. External combustion engine: An external combustion engine means that the fuel burns outside the engine. 4. Internal combustion engine: An internal combustion engine, or reciprocating piston engine, differs most from an external combustion engine in that the fuel burns inside it. There are many types of internal combustion engines, with common gasoline and diesel engines being typical examples.
I work in auto repair and often hear customers mix up 'horse' and 'horsepower'. Actually, horsepower is the standard power unit, where 1 horsepower equals 0.735 kilowatts. Car manufacturers label engine data using 'horsepower' or 'kW'. Some people say 'this car has 200 horses', which is actually a simplified way of speaking, like saying 'two catties' instead of 'one kilogram'. But during repairs, I've noticed some older drivers use 'horse' to refer to horsepower, while younger people might mean actual horses, leading to misunderstandings. Last time a customer asked, 'Master, is 150 horses enough for my car?' I always have to confirm whether they're talking about horsepower or literally keeping 150 horses.
Having been into car modification for over a decade, horsepower is the real benchmark. The '150 horsepower' listed on engine spec sheets refers to the internationally recognized power unit, which dynamometers can measure precisely. When car enthusiasts say 'this 300-horsepower car is a beast' in group chats, it's actually an industry convention – using 'horse' as shorthand for 'horsepower,' essentially meaning the same thing. Just like saying '100 meters in 12 seconds' would never be misunderstood as 100 meters in 12 hours. But beware: some old motorcycle magazines use 'horse' to represent metric horsepower, which shouldn't be confused with imperial horsepower—1 metric horsepower equals 0.986 imperial horsepower.
