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Before we delve into the question of how much Horsepower one horse has, let us first understand what is meant by horsepower. We use the term “horsepower” almost every day in our life, especially while talking about automobiles or mechanics. It’s probably one of those terms that almost everyone uses or has at least heard of. But do we really know the meaning of the term? Maybe it is probably not what you think it is… Let’s find out!
What exactly is horsepower?
A horsepower is a unit of measurement that was developed by the famous creator and inventor of the steam engine, James Watt. One horsepower is equated to the power of a horse to lift 33,000 pounds, that is, 14969 kg across one foot, that is, 0.3 in sixty seconds. The term horsepower was first used by the famous Scottish engineer James Watt in the 18th century. This was during the industrial revolution when new inventions were rolled out in quick succession.
Why was Horsepower Invented?
James Watt created horsepower as a unit of measurement, which he would use to compare mechanical power to the power of a horse. Why was this necessary?
As we are all aware, it was around this time, (late eighteenth century) that James Watt had come up with his steam engine. Up till then, the industrialists used horses as the universal power source. Industrialists were skeptical of new innovations and did not want to adopt them easily.
They were afraid that these innovations would not be durable and would break down easily, and they would have to spend huge costs on repair. Then how could James Watt convince industrialists that the steam engine was much more efficient than horses and that they should invest in it?
So, he invented a unit to compare the power of a horse to engine power. He was able to show that just one of his steam engines could alone produce that much power that could be produced by 10 horses working together, or 10 horsepower. Thus he could show the industrialists that the use of the steam engine would be much more efficient at cutting costs. Since then, horsepower has remained a universally applied index of mechanical energy. Even today we can hear people bragging about the high horsepower of their cars or motorbikes.
Finding how much horsepower does a horse have, has always been an intrigued point for all the scientists and physicians out there. Therefore, with a lot of research, we have finally made it possible.
How much Horsepower does one horse have?
On average, it takes 14.9 horses to make one horsepower. While it is often estimated that the power of one horse is equal to one horsepower, that is not quite always the case.
There is a very common misconception about the concept of horsepower. It is often related to the speed of a horse. The truth is, horsepower is not at all related to speed, but in fact, to power, as the name suggests. Power here means work, so horsepower is calculated on the basis of a particular amount of work done in a particular amount of time by a horse. The fastest horses have often been found to possess less than 1 horsepower of power.
What is the horsepower of different horses?
A slight difference can be found in the horsepower possessed by different breeds of horses. This is mainly because of the varying characteristics of the different breeds. Some horses are powerfully and strongly built to be able to do more heavy tasks. There are other horses that have a sleek build and are born and bred to be able to run very fast.
#1 Draft horses
These horses fall in the first category of horses. They have a heavy and powerful build and are known to possess the greatest horsepower, that is, on an average 0.864 horsepower. These horses and few other breeds, like the Shire horses and Percheron horses, are known to have the highest horsepower.
#2 Thoroughbred horses
Thoroughbred horses do not have very high horsepower because they are built for racing. They have great speed and are the fastest horses. These horses, along with Arabian mares and few other breeds are low on horsepower but very high on speed.
What is the ideal horsepower for a car?
Now that we are aware of what horsepower is and how much Horsepower a horse has, it is time to dive into the practical applications of horsepower. One of the most common uses of horsepower is to measure the power of a car. The horsepower of a car can range from anything between under 100 to above 300 depending upon the nature of the car and your own tastes. However, there are some cars that exceed even 1000 horsepower.
- Under 100hp: Smaller cars with small engines that do you need much power to serve their purpose have horsepower under 100hp, Generally 70 horsepower. The Mitsubishi Mirage, Smart Fortwo, and Chevrolet Spark are some cars with horsepower under 100hp.
- Between 100-200 hp: Standard size cars which need a little more powerful engine have horsepower between 100-200. The average horsepower for these cars is around 130-160 hp and these are the safest cars if very young children or old people are traveling with you. Nissan Versa, Ford Fiesta, and Hyundai Elantra Eco are some cars with horsepower between 100-200.
- Between 200-300 hp: This level of horsepower marks the sweet spot for most driving enthusiasts. Cars with horsepower between 240-260 are the ones you can drive while enjoying the thrill and at the same time not overstepping the threshold of danger. Bigger vehicles like trucks might sometimes need engines with horsepower between 250-300. Toyota Camry, Toyota Avalon, and Karma Revero GT are some of the cars with horsepower between 200-300.
- Over 300 hp: These cars are very powerful and simply meant to provide the thrill of fast driving to those you seek it. If you are not accustomed to or comfortable with such breakneck speeds and power, we would recommend you do not go for these cars. Chevrolet Impala, Ford Mustang Ecoboost, and Nissan 370Z are some cars with horsepower over 300 hp.
Cars with horsepower over 300 or 400 are sportscars, simply meant for the thrill of car racing and driving.
Devel Sixteen is currently the only car with 5000 horsepower, and it is known as “hypercar” or “supercar”.
Check out the latest news on Apple Car.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1 How is horsepower calculated?
Horsepower can be calculated using a formula. If you multiply the voltage and efficiency of a machine or car with the electricity consumed by it and divide the result by 746, you will get the horsepower of the machine or vehicle. Why 746? One horsepower is equal to the value of 746 watts.
Hence, to find horsepower the power of the machine in watts has to be divided by 746 watts. It is a simple formula and it should be easy for you to get the result. If you find it difficult, you can also calculate horsepower online by using this horsepower calculator.
Q2 Are cars with higher horsepower better?
That is not necessarily the case. It totally depends upon the reason why you are buying your car. If you have a small family and are not into high speeds and driving thrills, a car with under 100 horsepower engines or under 200 horsepower engines will suit you very well.
In fact, in such a case you should beware of cars that approach 300 horsepower. Cars over 300 or over 400 horsepower are for those who drive simply for the thrill of it. Cars over 500 or 600 horsepower are used as sportscars and ideally, should not be driven on roads used by the general public for safety.
Q3 How much Horsepower can a human generate?
On average, while doing any heavy or energy-consuming a healthy human being can generate horsepower up to 0.89. It has been found that a human can sustain 0.1 horsepower for an indefinite period of time. Athletes have been known to generate 2.5 horsepower briefly while running and they can sustain up to 0.35 horsepower for several hours.
Q4 How much Horsepower does a motorbike have?
Motorbikes meant for daily use have between 50-200 horsepower. If you ride your motorcycle alone, fifty horsepower is more than enough. If you have to carry another person or extra luggage on your motorbike, a 100 horsepower motorbike is good to have. While on a motorbike, you will generally be able to generate about 0.35 horsepower but it might vary depending upon the time and effort. An experienced and world-class biker might be able to generate about 0.65 horsepower over a four-hour ride.
Q5 How to find out my engine’s horsepower in cubic centimeters or cc?
This can be achieved by using a very simple formula. 1 horsepower is roughly equal to 16 cc. So in order to find the horsepower of your engine in cc you need to multiply the horsepower given by 16. You can choose to calculate this manually or you may use your usual calculator or even an online calculator to serve the purpose.
Conclusion
Thus we came to know that the idea that one horsepower will be equal to the power of one horse is a misconception. In fact, the horse that can generate the most horsepower can generate only about 0.894 horsepower.
We also compared the horsepower that can be generated by a horse to that which can be generated by a human. We focused on some practical applications of the unit horsepower as well, especially in the context of cars. We uncovered another interesting fact that even though the unit “horsepower” was invented in the 18th century, to date it is a universally used index of measuring mechanical power.
That was all about horsepower and the Horsepower present in a horse. We hope it satisfied your curiosity with regard to horsepower!
