Joe in Burlingame asked how horsepower is defined, and what the difference between horsepower and brake horsepower.
The definition of 1 horsepower is the ability to raise 550 pounds 1 foot high in 1 second. Another way of saying that is “550 foot-pounds per second”.
Brake horsepower is the vehicle’s horsepower measured where the power is delivered (for example, at the rear axle of a truck tractor. Shaft horsepower is the power measured at the engine itself, before any losses from the clutch or differential occur.
Trivia: A human can only output about 1/4 of a horsepower on a continual basis.
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